Forest Service Rejects Holland Lake Lodge Expansion

The day before Thanksgiving, the Forest Service denied a proposal from POWDR, a Utah-based ski resort operator, to build 32 new buildings covering more than 23,000 square feet at Holland Lake Lodge. The Forest Service rejected the proposal due to inaccuracies in the master development plan.

Thank you to everyone who has followed this process and commented on the plan or showed up at the meetings to voice your objections.

What helped compel the Forest Service to reject the proposal were discrepancies the public brought to the attention of the agency. Those discrepancies involved the scope of the proposed development, which would have encompassed at least 15 acres, far exceeding the lodge’s current operating permit, currently set at 10.53 acres.

Since the Forest Service released the proposal in September, the public has also raised objections to the overall lack of environmental analysis that has gone into the proposal.

POWDR has since stated that they intend to submit a slightly modified proposal and master development plan. The new iteration of the proposal will likely be the same scale with the same 32 new buildings. However, before POWDR is able to resubmit the proposal, the Forest Service must determine the validity of the lodge’s operating permit. Questions have been raised over who currently owns and operates the lodge, and if a recent change in control of the lodge automatically terminates the permit.

We will remain vigilant for any new proposals for expanding Holland Lake Lodge and keep you informed of any new developments.

For now, we can chalk this up as a win for our beloved wild public lands.