Holden Village Temporarily Closed to Guests
Updates following recent mudslides at Holden Village
Situation Overview
Due to December mudslides and road damage in the Railroad Creek area, Holden Village is closed to guests until further notice. This page serves as a centralized location for verified updates, official communications, and ways the community can support Holden Village during this time. We appreciate your patience and continued support.
Current Updates
Holden Village – February 6, 2026
The Holden Village Board has issued an update on the three individuals who entered the Village shortly before Christmas with no prior announcement or permission. The Board is also sharing its thanks for the leadership of co-executive directors Bjørn and Elise Peterson. The statement reads in part:
“While we can disagree with actions that any of us perform, whether in leadership or otherwise, it is imperative that we act with collective good will in working through difficult times and especially in supporting the EDs and the Board as we navigate unprecedented challenges to Holden’s future. Your feedback and generosity of spirit and your steadfast support of Holden’s leadership in these critical times are vital to us and we ask you to direct that energy to us, and not the EDs at this time. Indeed, the Board welcomes the expression by the community of concerns and constructively critical comments addressed directly to the President of the Board at markschwehn@holdenboard.org. It does not welcome complaints, criticisms, and accusations posted pointlessly on social media sites instead of being directed more narrowly to pertinent agencies or parties like the Board.”
Read the full statement here: February 6 Letter from the Board
Video Message – December 30, 2025
Earlier News Releases and Statements
- February 6, 2026 Holden Village Board shares updates and collective thanks | PDF
- January 2, 2026 Five Holden staff return to Village | PDF
- January 23, 2026 Update on Road Repair Timeline | PDF
- December 26, 2025 Joint Statement from Holden Village’s Executive Directors and Board of Directors | PDF
- December 24, 2025 Important Message from Holden’s Board of Directors | PDF
- December 22, 2025 Remaining skeleton crew evacuated from Holden Village | PDF
- December 16, 2025 Skeleton Crew remains in Holden Village to manage operations | PDF
- December 12, 2025 Holden Village community closes temporarily following series of mudslides on FS 8301 | PDF
Donate
A donation of any amount will help with Holden’s continued operations and support the staff members who have been uprooted from their Village home. You can donate directly or mail your contribution to:
Holden VillageHC 0 Box 2
Chelan, WA 98816
Support our Staff
Message
Holden Village is being called to ventures of which we cannot see the ending. But the hope of this community will help us go out with good courage. Please consider recording a quick video or sending a message to us, letting us know what gives you hope for Holden’s future.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the situation with the road?
The US Forest Service (USFS), with cooperation from Chelan County Emergency Management, reports at least 11 slide areas along Forest Service Road (FSR) 8301. Several of these slide areas are easily cleared of mud, boulders, and trees with heavy equipment. In at least one place, and perhaps several, the integrity of the road has been compromised. The most obvious is near mile post 4, at the location of the long-time avalanche chute known as “Old Faithful.”
The USFS has issued a road closure order for both motorized and nonmotorized travel and presence on FSR 8301 from the Lucerne commercial dock all the way through Holden Village to the ballfield. We have submitted the necessary applications for access on the road for a limited number of individuals because the closure will technically prohibit access to all people and vehicles from using Main Street in Holden Village. Holden Village has been granted permission for up to 15 designated caretakers to be able to access the road from Mile Post 9 out to the ballfield and up to the maintenance buildings.
From the closure order: “The closure on Forest System Road 8301 starts at and includes Lucerne commercial dock and continues up the road to its terminus.” It is set to expire on December 31, 2027 unless rescinded sooner. A map is available here.
Can Holden people just go fix it?
No. Since it is a federally owned road, any unauthorized work on the road is illegal. Until the road closure order is lifted, it is also illegal to access the dock at Lucerne or travel in any form on or across FSR 8301.
So what's the process?
The process for repairing FSR 8301 will be determined by the federal guidelines for an ERFO disaster (Emergency Relief for Federally-Owned Roads). More can be learned here, but the following important points are worth noting:
The appropriate federal agency (in our case the USFS) files an application for ERFO funding to repair a road damaged in a natural disaster.
The federal Department of Transportation reviews and issues a finding that a natural disaster meets the standards required for the release of ERFO funds.
The DOT determines if there is funding available in the annual ERFO allocation. (If not, other federal funding avenues will be explored).
Assessments, engineering, and plans are made (called a program) and submitted to DOT for approval.
Contractors bid and are hired.
Construction is completed.
Inspections are completed and the road is reopened.
Why might it take so long to reopen FSR 8301?
This description of the road repair process alludes to only a few of the stakeholders involved in the completion of the road repair. The remote location of FSR 8301 and the complications related to logistics in Railroad Creek Valley make the process more difficult than other federally-owned roads. Additionally, geotechnical engineers and avalanche experts cite the ongoing threat of slides (land and especially snow) in many of the areas that need engineering assessments and construction, making winter evaluations and planning risky.
In any case, as of late January, no issuance has been made regarding qualification of the disaster for ERFO funding (Step 2 above). Once the process reaches the program stage (Step 4) the appropriate experts will determine whether adequate assessments can be made given the weather conditions. The best guess of experts at the moment is that such assessments will occur after most of the snow melts this spring.
Once the federal government has outlined a repairs program, bids and construction can begin. These will also be subject to the limitations of FSR 8301’s remote location and limited construction season. Wildfire season could further complicate this work as well, perhaps limiting how much progress can be made in a given construction season. It is likely that a 2-track road is established via emergency repairs before the restoration of a roadway suitable for trucks and buses. This would potentially allow Holden Village to use FSR 8301 for resupply, however, such an application for use would need to be made assuming the road is still closed to the public.
What is Holden’s “Special Use Permit” and why does it matter so much now?
We are working closely with USFS Entiat-Chelan District Ranger Holly Krake and Chelan County Emergency Management Sergeant Jason Renield on maintaining Holden’s access to the village. Because Holden Village does not own the land on which the Village is located, we have a “special use permit” that grants Holden Village permission to operate on Federally owned lands. This is a common process by which private entities operate everything from resorts and cabins, to ski areas and horseback tours on public land.
Unlike private property owners, we do not have the legal authority to remain in our buildings during a government mandated evacuation. Furthermore, the requirements of our permit must be met in order for us to operate on federal land, including cooperation with local government entities, including the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. The ability to remain in the village without normal overland egress relies on our risk and safety planning and communication with Chelan County Emergency Management and the USFS. We are in contact with Chelan County Commissioner Brad Hawkins and Sheriff Mike Morrison to ensure open communication and cooperation.
What is Holden doing to speed things along?
In addition to our work with USFS and Chelan County, we have also been meeting with our US congresswoman, Dr. Kim Schrier, and the regional staff of Washington Governor Bob Fergusson, US Senator Patty Murray, and US Senator Maria Cantwell. Many other officials and representatives at the county, state, and national level are also offering vital support to the process. While we cannot make federal processes go any faster than they are designed to go, we are doing everything we can to ensure the speediest paths are taken and that attention is given to the vital role Holden Village plays in the local economy, the conservation of our historic properties, and the support we offer to wildland firefighters and countless recreationists. We are also highlighting the importance of the mine remediation work in the valley and the partnerships we contribute to in stewarding the unique and vital ecology of the North Cascades, Lake Chelan, and ultimately the Columbia River. We have received assurances from all of these partners that FSR 8301 will be opened and that we will have their cooperation and assistance in every way possible.
What’s going on in the Village and valley right now?
A core group of caretakers is rotating into the Village roughly every three weeks. We travel via helicopter with groceries to supplement the food stores already in the Village. The team is led by our Operations and Services Managers, with Executive Director support in the Village every other three week period. The team is made up of operations, services, and risk and safety team members. They are carrying on a variety of Holden traditions and rhythms as best they can while maintaining systems, buildings, and grounds. Plans are being created now for future incorporation of additional volunteers and employees as needed.
Rio Tinto evacuated completely on December 13 and is still evaluating when they will return to the valley. The water coming directly from the mine is being collected in the mountain cavity where it is being stored for future treatment. At present, untreated water from the tailings has now filled the storage pool near the water treatment plant and is flowing into Railroad Creek. USFS and Rio Tinto have stated that there is no health and human safety risk from this flow. While FSR 8301 is closed, Rio Tinto is not held legally responsible for this situation according to the USFS. We continue to be in close contact with Rio Tinto’s management and we are very grateful for our partner in the Valley. Before leaving, Rio Tinto shared additional food and maintenance supplies with the Holden Caretaker Team.
Photo Updates
Photos documenting current conditions and response efforts will be shared here as they become available. Photos are free to use with credit to Holden Village.
Additional Information
At this time, we are unable to fulfill online orders from the Holden Store. If you have already placed an order, we will be canceling and refunding your order. We are hopeful that we will be able to reopen our online Store at some time and will post notifications of the change of status via the website.
For general information about Holden Village, please visit the main website. Weather-related updates may continue to be posted on the Weather page as well.
If you have questions not addressed here, please reach out through the appropriate contact channels listed on the website.