Thanks, POWDR, for showing who owns public lands

The rollout of a proposal by one of North America’s biggest ski developers to triple the size of Holland Lake Lodge and bring industrial tourism and commercial recreation to the rural, wildlife-rich Swan Valley in western Montana was a complete and utter disaster.

After two months of vehement public opposition, the expansion proposal by POWDR, the Utah-based ski developer that promotes “soulful” experiences through high-impact recreation, fell to earth in flames — like the 1937 Hindenburg dirigible disaster in New Jersey.

The airship caught fire and was destroyed when it attempted to dock, and...