KALISPELL - We have a follow-up to a story we have been reporting on for the last several months regarding theexpansion proposal of Holland Lake Lodge in the Swan Valley.
Last week we told you the US Forest Service rejected the Holland Lake Lodge owner and a Utah-based developer's proposal for expansion citing inaccuracies in the proposal.
MTN News talked with the US Forest Service on Tuesday to find out what this means for the proposed expansion project moving forward. Flathead National Forest Supervisor Kurt Steele says Holland Lake Lodge Incorporated and partner POWDR will need to resubmit their proposed expansion plans after inaccuracies were found.
“We knew things like the acreage discrepancy that came up as well as some of the grizzly bear language that came up in the master development plan, were two simple things that we wanted to readdress or have them resubmit so that we can reconsider things moving forward,” Steele explained.
Steele says if a new plan is submitted the proposed project will restart from the beginning going through an environmental assessment and public comment periods, "we’ve heard from the public and we feel like an environmental assessment at a minimum for any expansion is the appropriate analysis at this time.”
In a statement, representatives from POWDR say they will be resubmitting a master development plan at a later date. If a new plan is submitted and accepted for proposal, Steele says it could be more than a year before any kind of decision is made.
