No fee at Holland Lake Day Use in 2020

SWAN VALLEY - Swan Lake District Ranger Chris Dowling received applause from attendees at the Swan Valley Community Council special meeting Nov. 21 when he announced there would be no fee to use the Day Use at Holland Lake during the 2020 season.

Dowling explained that the fee for the campground would increase from $18 to $20 per night. He said he had met with the concessionaires and the Flathead National Forest supervisor Chip Weber to go over numbers of administration and operation costs. They did not want to see a decrease in tourism because of the fee increase. One of the reasons the decision was made to eliminate the day use fee and increase the camping fee was because visitors to the area had increased in 2019 from last season. In fact, Dowling said that Holland Lake was the number one used site on the Flathead National Forest.

Dowling said that the concessionaire still has the same responsibilities as before such as safeguarding and maintaining the whole site, just the funding is different.

Those in attendance thanked Dowling for his diligence and persistence.

“I appreciate your efforts,” said resident Marcia Tapp. “On behalf of myself and the community, we really needed this.”

Council member Kathy Koors said, “Thanks for going to bat for us.”

Dowling said that the FNF welcomes the community’s participation to make this agreement function as well as possible because the forest and the day use area does belong to the community. Chair Ken Donovan said that the community would like to work together with the concessionaire to keep costs down by encouraging good stewardship of the day use area.

In public comment, Council member Nathan Richardson asked if it was possible to open roads for firewood gathering. Dowling said the District can open select areas for two weeks every year if there is a need. He said to contact Eric Trimble in the Timber management office at the Swan Lake Ranger District at 406-837-7500.

The Council members voted to cancel the December meeting due to the Christmas holiday. The next Council meeting will be Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Swan Valley Community Hall.