Open letter from Save Holland Lake to Kurt Steele, Supervisor Flathead National Forest
Dear Mr. Steele,
Save Holland Lake, an ad-hoc coalition of concerned citizens advocating for the pristine lake, surrounding ecosystem and our public land, respectfully requests that you extend the public comment period for the proposed Holland Lake expansion project beyond October 7, 2022.
In your initial scoping document you state, “all activities would occur within the existing 15 acre permitted area.” The language surrounding the “15-acre” Special Use Permit must be corrected.
It is imperative the public is made aware of the fact that the current Special Use Permit is for 10.53 acres, and that the proposed project actually expands the HLL area by the lake and along the shoreline by 3.63 acres, increasing the Special Use Permit to 14.16 acres with an additional 5.22 acres set aside and planned for wastewater due to the project expansion, making the grand total of land requirements for the project to be 19.38 acres.
This discrepancy has not been explained to the public and is not in the scoping package. Your agency has continually been referring to the current Special Use Permit as 15 acres, which is not accurate.
Citizens deserve to be told factual information and therefore provided with enough time to further comment on this matter. Even today citizens are adding public comments to the Forest Service site that reference a 15-acre site that does not exist.
Please advise us as soon as possible about this request to clarify and correct this misinformation, and allow American citizens ample time to understand the true scope and impact of this project.
(We also are enclosing a media release that fully explains the issue and problem.)
Thank you for your prompt consideration.
Sincerely,
Jacole Johnson, Cheri Thornton, Travis Cole, Lucy Dayton, David Roberts, Bill Lombardi
Members, Save Holland Lake
Voting for Strohmaier
As Missoula County Commissioner the past six years, Dave Strohmaier has led the way in establishing Missoula County as a national leader in addressing numerous seemingly intractable problems, including navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, mitigating climate change, strengthening relations with Montana tribal communities, securing federal funds for needed infrastructure investment, overhauling Missoula’s outdated zoning and land-use regulations, and developing plans to address our housing crisis and homelessness.
He has spearheaded the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority to restore passenger rail service through southern Montana and spur sustainable economic development.
As our beloved late mayor, John Engen said, while endorsing Dave:
“Dave Strohmaier is intelligent, compassionate and is always seeking the best solutions for the challenges facing residents of Missoula County. He lives his principles, listens, learns and acts collaboratively with elected colleagues, staff and the folks he swore to serve.” I agree. I urge you to join me in voting for Dave Strohmaier for Missoula County Commissioner on Nov. 8.
Dan Spencer
Missoula
Strohmaier gets my vote
Dear Editor:
I am casting my vote to re-elect our Missoula County Commissioner, Dave Strohmaier.
Dave has done a great job of representing Missoula County and deserves to be re-elected. He represents the rural and urban portions of the county, which can be politically and culturally diverse, by first listening to his constituents and then taking action on their behalf.
He has his ear to the ground and he’s always willing to answer his phone and listen to concerns when you call him.
And he is no partisan in this day and age of divided politics. Dave does what’s best for his Missoula County constituents, whether they live in Missoula or the Seeley-Swan Valley.
And he works collaboratively with people of all political stripes and ideologies to make sure that Missoula County residents are heard and get what they need when it comes to basic services.
Dave is intelligent, compassionate, hard-working and honest, and goes to work every day for the citizens of Missoula County.
We all would do well by re-electing him in this fall general election.
Dave has my vote!
Bill Lombardi
Seeley Lake
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