Sara Groves Hired to Lead Bicentennial Fundraising Program

The Montana Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission and the Montana History Foundation (formerly known as the Montana Historical Society Foundation) have partnered to initiate a fundraising program to secure funding for key Lewis & Clark projects statewide. Sara Groves has been hired as the Bicenten-nial Fundraising Coordinator to lead this effort. She will be assisted by Charles Bentz Associates, the firm contracted to develop the fundraising campaign. The program goal is to develop and implement a proactive Montana fundraising efforts that will complement those underway at the national, regional and community levels. More fundraising program details will be provided in future newsletters and web site updates.

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Upcoming Meetings:

New Commissioners Appointed

Jeanette 'Tootie' Rasmussen of Choteau and Germaine White of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes were appointed by Governor Judy Martz in October to the Montana Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission. Tootie, as she prefers to be called, has been a very active member of her community and local museum board. Germaine is the Public Programs Manager for the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes. She works out of The People's Center in Pablo. Hal Stearns was re-appointed to the commission by the Governor. Hal splits his time between Missoula and virtually anywhere he may be guiding a tour along the Lewis & Clark Trail.

2002 Grant Programs Offer $158,000

Non-profit organizations developing Lewis & Clark-related projects can apply for $158,000 in funding made available by the Commission through its 2002 "Project Grant Program." The grant amounts will range from $2,500 to $25,000. Also, "Organization & Planning Grants" will again be offered and funded up to $2,000 each for recognized Regional Bicentennial Commissions and Tribal governments.

Deadline for the Lewis & Clark grants is December 21, 2001. The grant awards will be announced at the state Commission’s February 12, 2002, meeting. Funding for the 2002 grant program is provided by the Montana Bicentennial Commission, Travel Montana/Tourism Advisory Council and the Bonneville Power Administration.

Information and applications are available from the "Funding" section of our website, or by contacting regional commissions, Trail Heritage Chapters or the state Commission office.

The National Park Service's Challenge Cost Share Grant Program for 2002 has been funded at $5 Million. Specific program information and application forms for this program are also on the Commission’s web site on the "Funding" section, or by contacting the state Commission office.

Education Committee News

The Education Committee has been very busy these past few months on several projects:

• The newly created 22-minute video entitled "Lewis & Clark: Montana's Story" is available for purchase through the Montana SUPERHOST! Program. The $10 per tape fee covers the cost of production and distribution. To minimize the fulfillment logistics, the order form can be printed from the "Education/Visitor Services Training" section of the Commission's web page, www.montanalewisandclark.org. A printed supplement is being designed to provide viewers a reference list of sources for Montana Lewis & Clark information.
• The Watercourse and Project WET at Montana State University recently unveiled a Lewis & Clark Educator's Resource Guide. Financed in part from a Bicentennial Commission grant, this new directory offers teachers a guide to available Lewis & Clark education materials. Printed texts, videos and related Lewis & Clark web sites were reviewed and 'rated' by teachers in this comprehensive, user-friendly directory. Copies of the new directory are available for $10.00 each. The order form can be printed from the "Education/Lewis & Clark Curriculum" section of the Commission's web page.
• The Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Training Academy at the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center in Great Falls has partnered with Montana's Bicentennial Commission to offer a "Lewis & Clark Guide Training Program" in Spring 2002. Information about the program and program applications are available on the "Education/Professional Development" section of the Commission's web site. Graduates of the guide training program can be listed in the Commission's Resource Library as a qualified Lewis & Clark tour guide.
• Celeste River has been hired as the Symposium Coordinator for the University of Montana-Montana Bicentennial Commission sponsored Confluence of Cultures Lewis & Clark Symposium scheduled for May 28-31, 2003. The symposium will be held on the University of Montana campus in Missoula. To obtain a copy of the flyer, "A Call for Symposium Participation," contact the Commission's office or visit our website's "Education/Professional Development" page.

Bicentennial License Plate Available January, 2002!

Montana's new Bicentennial license plate will be ready for purchase beginning January 2, 2002. These colorful plates were designed to showcase the heritage of the Lewis & Clark Expedition in Montana. The plates sell for $30.00/set, with the annual renewal cost of $20.00. Twenty dollars of the initial purchase price, as well as the subsequent renewal fee, will be available to the state Commission to invest in Bicentennial events, projects and activities, statewide. Counties and the state general fund will split $10.00 of the initial purchase price.

2001 Lewis & Clark Conference Rated a Success

The 3rd Annual Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Conference in Billings was rated a success by the 169 registered participants. Highlights of this year's conference included reports on national, regional and statewide planning activities, as well as updates on the current effort to generate a statewide public safety plan, education pro- grams, grant recipients, regional commissions and Montana Indian Tribes. A tour and reception at the Pompeys Pillar National Historic Monument capped a busy first day of the conference. Friday's luncheon entertainment was provided by Rob Quist and Jack Gladstone as they performed a showcase of their new Lewis & Clark "Odyssey" show.

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Website: www.montanalewisandclark.org

Statewide Public Safety Plan Progressing

Under the very capable leadership of the Montana Sheriff's & Peace Officer's Association, critical public safety response information continues to be obtained from state and federal agencies and counties along the Lewis & Clark trail for inclusion in a master resource directory. Once the directory is completed and analyz-ed, a statewide public safety plan will be established to assist Montana's public safety agencies in planning responses to ‘unanticipated events’ such as search and rescue, traffic accidents and crowd control associated with Bicentennial activities. Groups planning events should include appropriate public safety and sanitation personnel early on in their planning and preparation.

MHS Announces New Bicentennial Resource

Richard Aarstad is the new Lewis & Clark Reference Librarian for the Montana Historical Society Library and Archives. A great addition to the library staff, Richard is a specialist in Montana history with BA and MA degrees from the University of Montana. The Libby native will split his work time hours between assisting researchers with questions about the Corps of Discovery and library patrons interested in local, regional and genealogical research. He will also work on a number of special MHS projects including the development of the Library's Lewis & Clark web page. Rich can be reached at 444-2023, or e-mail: clon1014@yahoo.com.

News from MTTA

The Montana Tribal Tourism Alliance met in late September and elected new officers. Richard J. Young, Fort Peck Reservation, is MTTA President, and Darrell Martin of Fort Belknap is the Vice-President. The current list of the Montana Tribal Bicentennial Contacts is available on the Commission's web site: www.montanalewisandclark.org/resources/ americanindians/bicentennialcontcts.htm