III 111th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 48 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 12, 2009 Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Merkley) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Honoring the sesquicentennial of Oregon statehood.

Whereas 53,000 settlers traveled the Oregon Trail, the longest of the overland routes used in westward expansion of the United States; Whereas approximately 80 Native American tribes inhabited Oregon before the pioneers settled, making Oregon rich with Native American history and culture; Whereas the Father of Oregon, John McLoughlin, valued the Oregon Country and reached out to settlers from the United States who were heading west to seek a new life in a land rich with resources and opportunity; Whereas Oregon was admitted to the Union 150 years ago, on February 14th, 1859; Whereas Oregon is the only State in the United States to have a 2-sided flag; Whereas Oregon is home to the deepest lake in the United States, Crater Lake, known for its beautiful deep blue waters; Whereas Oregon is home to the Sea Lion Caves, the largest sea lion caves in the world, where Steller sea lions and a variety of wild birds reside; Whereas the State fish of Oregon, the Chinook salmon, is the largest of the Pacific salmon; Whereas among the natural bounty of Oregon, the State produces some of the finest nuts, berries, pears, wines, and microbrews in the world; Whereas the varied geography of Oregon ranges from mountains to rivers, deserts to lakes, fossil beds to deep canyons; Whereas the forests of Oregon have diverse ecologies and histories, from temperate rainforests to ancient old growth forests; Whereas Oregon is home to Forest Park, the largest urban forest reserve in the United States; Whereas Oregon is the home of companies such as Nike, Intel, and Columbia Sportswear, which are responsible for employing tens of thousands of people in the United States; Whereas the largest city in Oregon, Portland, known as the Rose City, is home to the International Rose Test Garden, which was founded in 1917 and is the oldest official rose garden in the United States; Whereas Oregon has been a national leader in democratic innovations, such as a ballot initiative system that dates back to the turn of the 20th century; Whereas the Oregon legislature was the first in the United States to pass a bottle bill, a landmark piece of legislation that promoted conservation and environmental responsibility; and Whereas the Oregon legislature has passed a beach bill and instituted a state-wide land use planning process to protect the very resources that brought people to Oregon: Now, therefore, be it

That— (1)it is the sense of the Senate that— (A)the people of the United States should observe and celebrate the sesquicentennial of Oregon on February 14, 2009, to honor the admission of Oregon as the 33rd State of the United States; and (B)Oregonians should be honored for their pioneering spirit and innovation; and (2)the Senate respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to transmit to the Governor of the State of Oregon an enrolled copy of this resolution for appropriate display.