County, state and federal officials will converge in the Madera County foothills Tuesday to mark the birth of the Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino.

Leaders of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians expect to open their $150 million, 296,000-square-foot casino and hotel on June 24, 2003, tribal chairwoman Dixie Jackson said.

For the past two weeks, workers on the 48.5-acre site near Highway 41 and Road 417 have been clearing trees, blasting rocks and leveling land.

The tribe must complete the casino within one year of the groundbreaking or risk losing a state license for its planned 1,600 slot machines.

"It's realistic now that we can see this actually happening," Jackson said.

Though the tribe didn't need Madera County's blessing to set its plans into motion, tribal leaders earlier told the Board of Supervisors they want to be good neighbors. The county expects the casino to provide a fully equipped fire station and enough money to hire five more sheriff's deputies to keep the casino and its patrons safe.

County Supervisor Gary Gilbert said he plans to attend Tuesday's groundbreaking. He expects to be joined by state Sen. John Burton, D-San Francisco; state Gambling Commission Chairman John Hensley; and officials from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.

A direct-access road off Highway 41 is expected to replace Road 417 as the primary route to the casino site.

Also in the tribe's plans are a 200-room hotel, a bar-entertainment lounge, three restaurants, a 1,000-seat special events room and administrative areas. Parking will accommodate 1,800 automobiles, six buses and 39 recreational vehicles.

Ancestors of the Chukchansi occupied the Sierra foothills from the Fresno to Kern rivers, dating back at least to the year 800 B.C., anthropologists have told Picayune Rancheria officials.