How in the world did the fuzzy, furry Olympic marmot become a symbol of Washington State?

It all happened this year, when the Legislature  passed Senate Bill 5071 declaring the Olympic marmot as the state’s endemic mammal. Gov. Gregoire signed the bill into law on May 12. It takes effect July 26.

The idea for making the Olympic marmot a state symbol came from students at Wedgwood Elementary School in Seattle. The students suggested it to Sen. Ken Jacobsen, who represents Seattle’s 46th District. Jacobsen introduced the bill just before the 2009 session began. It was a cool lesson in democracy for the Wedgwood students. A group of them testified in favor of the bill when it received a public hearing in the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean and Recreation Committee. Many of the students were on hand when the governor signed the bill into law.   

Only 800 Olympic marmots are believed to be in existence. They are located on the Olympic Peninsula, mostly on Hurricane Ridge. They spend summer days sunbathing on rocks before returning to their burrows in the evening.  They hibernate most of the year. 

There are replicas of a female Olympic marmot and her baby in the front lobby of our Office in the Legislative Building. No names have been chosen for the marmot mom. What do you think the office marmot’s name should be?

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Click here to see a full list of our state symbols.