Tasks Completed May 1998-May 1999

Administration:

• A Bicentennial Commission office was established
• Bicentennial Commission Bylaws drafted and approved
• Bicentennial Commission Governance Plan drafted and approved
• A statewide "Affiliate Group" network was initiated via promoting and assisting county or multi-county bicentennial groups to be formed
  - 11 groups formed or in process of forming
• A state Bicentennial logo was designed and adopted
  - Logo is currently being registered as trademark in Montana
• Bicentennial newsletter designed
  - Database was designed, names compiled and entered
  - First issue of "Journal Notes" to be printed and mailed in June, 99
• Commission letterhead, envelopes and business cards designed and printed

Financial:

• Drafted, submitted and lobbied Funding Request to 1999 State Legislature seeking $400,000 general fund allocation
  - Secured funding commitment via Legislature and Travel Montana for $400,000 in Accommodations Tax funding for 2000/2001 biennium
• Secured $20,000 NPS Challenge Cost Grant and $5,000 donation from MPC for Interpretive Sign Plan project
• Formed working relationships with Montana's Congressional delegation
• Presently working to secure grants from Montana Committee for the Humanities and USFS Rural Community Assistance grant programs
• Presently developing a Request for Proposal to secure contract with management company for development and implementation of comprehensive product licensing/sponsorship program
  - Established preliminary plans to have a special "Montana L&C Bicentennial" license plate designed, approved and marketed by 1/2002

Planning:

• Conducted Commission Strategic Planning sessions, and have drafted and approved Commission Strategic Plan dated September, 1998
• Commission joined the Montana Tourism & Recreation Initiative, through which an interagency "L&C Bicentennial Focus Team" was created
  - Has met four times, and is presently managing a project to create a statewide Lewis & Clark Interpretive Sign Plan
• Personal visits have been made to 6 of the 7 Montana Indian Reservations to invite their participation in the bicentennial planning process
  - A presentation was made to the Montana/Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council in April
• Presently planning the first statewide Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Conference to be held in Lewistown on September 27th
• Attended the 4th Annual National Bicentennial Planning Workshop in April
• Have established working relationships with neighboring state bicentennial groups
• Have established working relationships with key federal agencies at the Montana and Washington, DC level
• Presently conducting 12 public-input forums throughout Montana

Legacy:

• Presently soliciting legacy concepts through public-input forums; Commission identified possible legacies in Strategic Plan

Education & Research:

• Established an "Education Committee" which has met three times and has identified four key Focus Areas
• Presently working cooperatively with Travel Montana to enhance their Lewis & Clark Internet site with events, etc.
• Have initiated a process to generate a L&C technical resource "library"
• Presently working with the Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research on both an in-state survey and national survey to gain visitation potential data

Other:

• Have "driven the trail" to meet with interested communities; have personally visited 20+ communities (some more than once)
• Have presented "Lewis & Clark Bicentennial" talks to such groups as Rotary, Kiwanis, Ad Clubs, Montana Ambassadors, Montana Bed & Breakfast Association, Museum Association of Montana, Montana Archeology Society, and Chambers of Commerce.