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Exhibit 31.1



CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Richard J. Fitzpatrick, certify that:

|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. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal        
|control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors  
|(or persons performing the equivalent functions):                                                                          
|                                                                                                                           
|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: August 11, 2006 |  |                                                
|--------------------- |  | -----------------------------------------------
|                      |  | /s/ Richard J. Fitzpatrick                     
|                      |  | Richard J. Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive Officer
|                      |  | Cowlitz Bancorporation                         

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