02:30 PM MDT on Monday, August 9, 2004

Associated Press

LEWISTON -- North central Idaho residents are readying for Lewis and Clark Bicentennial activities in June of 2006.

Millions of federal dollars have already been pumped through area towns for the event.

So it's a financial boon no matter how many visitors show up. Funds came from the Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Committee.

Keith Peterson of Lewiston is the coordinator of the Idaho Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. He says there's 635-thousand dollars in a grant pool for fiscal year 2004.

And already more than eleven million dollars has been spent or designated for city improvements or public safety.

Eight counties in Idaho and Montana make up the Lewis and Clark Public Safety Committee.

Nez Perce County Sheriff Randy Kingsbury says that by 2006, the committee will have received five million dollars in grants.