WHEREAS, On March 9, 1854, one hundred fifty years ago this week, the Washington Territorial Government created the county of Skamania, spanning from Clark County to the Rocky Mountains in present day Montana; and
     WHEREAS, We honor Skamania County as it is today, from the peak of Mt. St. Helens in the West, to the base of Mt. Adams in the East, and south to the flow of the great Columbia River; and
     WHEREAS, We honor the Cascade Chinook Tribe, who inhabited this land thousands of years prior to the first white settlers of Skamania County; and
     WHEREAS, We honor Lewis and Clark's Expedition, the first recorded exploration of these lands by the United States of America; and
     WHEREAS, We also honor those settlers of Skamania County who arrived with their hopes and dreams laying the groundwork for the county it is today; and
     WHEREAS, We honor Skamania County's breathtaking mountains, rivers, and forests, which bring thousands of tourists to this beautiful county every year to capture these picturesque scenes, as well as camp, windsurf, hike, and fish; and
     WHEREAS, We honor the timber and fishing industry that have long been an essential part of Skamania County's economy; and
     WHEREAS, We honor the museums and historical societies that keep the great history of Skamania County alive; and
     WHEREAS, We congratulate the generations of school children and schools themselves throughout Skamania County who have made this county 2nd in the nation for the highest percentage of residents who have completed at least 12 years of school;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives call on the people of the State of Washington to recognize the county of Skamania by celebrating and commemorating in the grand manner befitting this one hundred fiftieth anniversary.