More than a week after the U.S. Forest Service issued a formal permit allowing Eric Jacobson to become the new operator of the Holland Lake Lodge, the Great Falls native said it’s still “mind-blowing” that he’s now the caretaker of the beloved resort.

The Flathead National Forest approved the permit earlier this spring, but it wasn’t issued until the end of June when an operating plan for the 2025 season was also approved. The issuance allowed the sale of the lodge to Jacobson to be finalized, almost three years after a previous sale was derailed by fierce opposition to a proposal to significantly expand the resort. 

“I don’t want to build a (massive) lodge on the shores of Holland Lake,” Jacobson said in an interview with Montana Free Press this week. “I bought this place so that doesn’t happen.” 

In 2022, Utah-based ski resort operator POWDR partnered with the previous owner of the resort. They proposed demolishing 10 structures at Holland Lake Lodge and building new ones, including a 13,000-square-foot structure called the “Bob Marshall Lodge” with 28 rooms. The expansion would have increased the lodge’s capacity from 50 guests per night to 156. Locals criticized the plan, worried it would significantly change the valley’s character, and in late 2022, the U.S. Forest Service announced it would not approve POWDR’s plans. The company vowed to try again but eventually sold its interest in the resort, and the previous permit holder, Christian Wohlfeil, began seeking a new buyer. That’s when Jacobson stepped in. 

Jacobson was born and raised in Great Falls and remembers camping at Holland Lake as a kid. He said his family never could afford to stay at the lodge itself, but he has fond memories of the area. When his mom passed away in 2012, the family held a celebration of her life at Holland Lake. Jacobson has had a varied career, working in banking and tech before founding a private equity firm in 2004. Jacobson said it wasn’t his plan to become a resort operator, but he couldn’t pass up the chance to care for a place that is so important to him and his family. 

Helping with the project is Rebecca Ramsey, the new general manager of the lodge. Before becoming general manager, she was the executive director of Swan Valley Connections, a nonprofit conservation group active in the area. Ramsey said she would not have come to work for Jacobson if she didn’t believe in his vision for the lodge, which, in many ways, is maintaining its current state with some necessary upgrades, since it has been closed since 2023. 

“We want to figure out how to best serve this place and the public,” she said. “We want to be a place where people can connect with nature.”

Jacobson said the first priority since taking over the resort is figuring out what needs to be done to reopen it. While he would love to start welcoming guests this year, that seems unlikely, though he mentioned it might still be possible to host some events. 

One of the biggest issues at Holland Lake is a leaking wastewater lagoon that needs repair. Flathead National Forest Public Affairs Officer Kira Powell said the agency is currently reviewing a preliminary engineering report to determine whether it will repair the existing wastewater treatment system or replace it entirely. While the Forest Service aims to have the system operational by next year, 2027 is “more likely,” she wrote. In the meantime, guests of Holland Lake Lodge will need to use portable toilets. 

Eventually, the new operator will need to submit a comprehensive plan for the lodge’s future to the Forest Service, including any potential changes or improvements they wish to make to the site. Ramsey said that she expects the public to be actively involved in any proposed changes and that they wouldn’t be “blindsided” as they have been in the past.