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Exhibit 31.1



CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER



|I, Richard J. Fitzpatrick, certify that:
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|1. | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Cowlitz Bancorporation;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|-- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  
|2. | Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact necessary to make the statements made, in light
of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with
respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;
|  
|3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and
other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in
all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly
report;                   
|  
|4. | The registrant's other certifying officers and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and
have:                                                                                                        

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to
ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

c) disclosed in this quarterly report any change in
the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is
likely to materially affect the registrant's internal control over financial
reporting;

|  
|--
|5.

a) all significant deficiencies in the design or
operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably
likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process,
summarize and report financial information; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
internal control over financial reporting.

|Date: November 10, 2005
|-----------------------

| | /s/ Richard J. FitzpatrickRichard J. Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive OfficerCowlitz Bancorporation
| | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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