Washtucna students submit Palouse Falls bill

What could have been a simple school project has evolved into a large, and impressive, undertaking for students at Washtucna Schools during the past few months. The students have officially submitted House Bill 2119, a bill to officially designate Palouse Falls as the state waterfall.

Five students stood in front of state legislators on Jan. 29 and testified at a hearing for the bill. The students were provided with two minutes to discuss why Palouse Falls should become the official state waterfall.

Washtucna fifth and sixth grade teacher Janet Camp said the project began as part of the Classroom Based Assessment required by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) as part of the social studies course work. Camp joined with third and fourth grade teacher Amy Whipple to create a project for the 30 students to complete together.

The class began researching potential projects and decided to focus on something local, and began researching the official classifications in the state. Camp explained originally the group had focused on designating an official soil, but upon determining there already was one, they turned their focus elsewhere.

With Palouse Falls being only a short jaunt from the Washtucna community, the group of students began researching if Washington had an official waterfall. Upon discovering there currently is not one, the wheels began turning and set the project in motion.

Whipple and Camp reached out to state representatives from the district and Representative Joe Schmick offered to assist the students. Schmick agreed to sponsor the bill, who is also joined by Representative Susan Fagan, and two other representatives.

Schmick traveled to Washtucna in October to discuss the project and help guide the students on the right path to drafting a bill.

“He spent over an hour with the 30 kids. He was fabulous with the kids that day,” Camp said of Schmick.

With Schmick’s guidance, the students delved deeper into the project and began historical research to learn more about Palouse Falls and the area that surrounds it. The students also drafted letters, which were sent to Schmick with a photo of Palouse Falls, and distributed to the state committee.

After completing all of the necessary requirements of submitting a bill, Schmick assisted the process and set up a hearing for Jan. 29. It was then determined a small group of students would be selected to testify at the hearing on Wednesday.

Camp explained the process to select the students required each of the students to write a paper and present the essay to a group of high school students. The decision of who the top students were was left completely up to the high school students, Camp explained.

The students testifying were TJ Harder, Emma Hulett, John Riser, Grace Nelson and Lindsay Knudson. The students and staff members traveled to Olympia on Wednesday morning and met with Rep. Schmick prior to the hearing.

Camp said the schedule included lunch with Schmick, where the students would learn how the hearing works, and the etiquette and expectations at the hearing. The students then toured the Capitol Building before attending the hearing and testifying to have Palouse Falls become the official state waterfall.

Camp explained each of the students had a different talking point to focus on when presenting to legislators. The most important aspects the group hoped to convey during the hearing were the rich history surrounding Palouse Falls and the quality of the spectacular waterfall.

The points of interest listed on the bill include the vital importance of tourism to the state’s economy, and visitors to Palouse Falls averages between 80,000 and 100,000 a year. The falls drop 198-feet, which identifies them as the last remaining year-round waterfalls left by the Ice Age Floods.

During their research, Camp said the students also discovered the falls have been named as the sixth best U.S. waterfall, was listed 10th on the list of the world’s most amazing waterfalls and currently holds the record as the site of the world record kayak drop.

The students’ research also included historical facts about the area surrounding the falls, where the oldest documented remains in the western hemisphere were found. It is also the home of the Palouse Native American culture and simultaneously the birthplace of the Appaloosa horse, as well as being a location documented in Lewis and Clark’s journals.

Camp explained if the bill passes in the Legislature and makes it to the Senate, all of the students who have participated in the creation of the bill would attend the hearing.

After months of hard work, Camp is excited to see the success of the project, and said the opportunity is unique for the students and staff members alike. It has been encouraging for the two teachers to watch a project that started as a requirement, exceed all expectations and be supported by school staff, state representatives and the small town community.

“It’s really just a team effort,” Camp said. “We’re just as excited too. The kids are learning they have a voice in legislature … and they can make a difference.”