Cowlitz County commissioners approve resolution from Lincoln Elementary recognizing and urging protection for ‘Bigfoot’

The Cowlitz County Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a resolution submitted by a Lincoln Elementary fifth-grade class that recognizes the folklore figure “Bigfoot” and frames the legend as a reason to protect undeveloped county lands.

Chairman Rick read the resolution aloud to the board and attendees, describing the students’ research and a related historical account from Ape Canyon near Mount Saint Helens. The resolution states that “legend sightings and investigations suggest that bipedal ape-like creature known as Bigfoot, aka Sasquatch, may exist” and that the folklore underscores “a need for stewardship of the natural wildlife beauty and mystery.”

Miss Andrews, who accompanied the fifth-grade class, told the commissioners that the students researched the folklore, wrote a paper, and drafted a letter and resolution. “They actually had to do research and write a paper first and decide if they thought Bigfoot was real,” Miss Andrews said, summarizing the class’s project and outreach.

Kaiser moved to approve the resolution. The board called the question and recorded affirmative responses; the chair told the class the county would sign the resolution for them.

The item was presented as a civic-education exercise: the students’ letter-writing and research were highlighted throughout the discussion and the board treated the resolution as a ceremonial recognition to be signed for the school. No ordinance, regulatory change, or budget allocation followed from the vote.

The board also received a museum reference to a 1924 account near Ape Canyon, which the chair cited when framing the students’ work as connected to local history. The board did not tie the resolution to any legal code or change in land-management authority. The chair closed the item by thanking the students and confirming the county would sign the resolution.