This is old article concerning Lewis & Clark type exploration:
http://www.floridatoday.com/space/explore/stories/1998b/092698b.htm
I posted this link because it was a topic I wanted to discuss and the link was given over at Space Policy Digest. I guess to summarize my topic, the question is how can NASA management get us to the point of Mars Manned Exploration. I suppose if you thought that Manned exploration was important, one way of doing it would be to reorganize NASA into this Lewis & Clark type model. But there would be all kinds of risks with attempting this reorganization and once organized there risks as far as doing good job of exploration and any follow up of colonizing. Anyways I don't neccessarily support this approach, though it's sort of what I had in mind as far as Lunar exploration. And after lunar exploration of water, the Manned Mars would use a similar model as used in the lunar exploration. The difference would have to do with the scale of reorganizing. Basically my approach would be more conservative- less radical change. You would graft on to the existing NASA organization a Lewis & Clark type organization. This organization would have clear goal- determine if there are minable deposit of water on lunar pole. This organization would terminate after the goal was met. The people hired would be temporary. The rules they followed could be different than other goverment agencies.