Online auction of classic boat to benefit conservation project
This restored 1953 Century Resorter is being auctioned off by Polson's Greg McCormick to help raise money for the Bad Rock Canyon Conservation Project near Columbia Falls. (photo provided)
Polson resident Greg McCormick is looking to give one lucky bidder the chance to own a rare classic wooden boat while also helping out the Bad Rock Canyon Conservation Project near Columbia Falls.
The beautifully restored 1953 Century Resorter, an 18-foot boat, is ready to float Flathead Lake after more than 600 hours of work by McCormick, who says he will donate half of the proceeds from the online auction of the boat to help complete the conservation project.
“The online auction is one of several exciting fundraisers we are planning over the next year,” Flathead Lakers Executive Director Kate Sheridan said in a press release. “The winner not only gets a beautiful boat, but also helps protect an incredible place in the Flathead.”
The Flathead Lakers, the Flathead Land Trust and other Flathead River to Lake Initiative partners, are committed to raise $500,000 by August 2021 to help Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks purchase 800 acres of exceptional and strategically important habitat for wildlife just east of Columbia Falls, at the mouth of Bad Rock Canyon. The land, owned by the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co., has been sought after by conservation and environmental organizations for more than a decade and was finally placed on the market earlier this year.
The project would add to a 12,000-acre network of conserved riparian lands protecting the healthy function and excellent water quality in 43 miles of the Flathead River and Flathead Lake
The funding raised from the boat auction will help partners secure $6.5 million in state and federal grants needed to purchase the property.
The boat features the original folding top in good condition as well as the original M47S 145-horsepower Chrysler Crown Engine and a newly balanced and polished three-blade bronze prop.
Bidding begins at $10,000 and the auction ends Dec. 1.
To view the auction, visit https://www.flatheadrivertolake.org/boatauction. For more information about the Bad Rock Canyon Conservation Project, visit www.flatheadlakers.org/current-projects.