About the District
In
order to best serve constituents, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers has retained
three offices throughout Eastern Washington's Fifth
Congressional District: Colville
in the north, Spokane
in the central portion of the district, and Walla
Walla to the south.
North
Northeastern Washington, home to Ferry, Pend Oreille, Okanogan, Stevens Counties and three Indian Tribes, is a landscape of great diversity and home to Sherman Pass, the highest pass in Washington State and the Omak Stampede, a world-renown downhill horse race.
The area encompasses vast forested areas, fertile agriculture land, orchards, wineries, year-round endless recreational opportunities, hunting, fishing, downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, berry and mushroom picking, backcountry riding, and camping, to name a few. Resource and manufacturing based industries still make up the majority of the local economies to this day.
Northeastern Washington is also home to 49 Degrees North Resort, known for its downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding in the winter and great horseback day-ride trails in the summer. Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, home of the Washington Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament, boasts 513 miles of undeveloped shoreline, from Grand Coulee Dam just shy of the Canadian Border. Two Rivers Resort sits at the confluence of the Spokane River and Lake Roosevelt and boasts the one of the largest 4th of July fireworks show and annual salmon barbeque.
Central
The Central region includes the City
of Spokane and surrounding suburbs as well as the rural areas of Spokane,
Lincoln,
Adams,
and Whitman
Counties. The economy is rich in diversity and reflects the area's
strong ties to business, industry, agriculture, education, healthcare and
related support services. With a population of nearly 200,000, Spokane
anchors the Fifth
District and offers residents and visitors all the opportunities of
a progressive and growing city. With several large hospitals and an
extensive network of health care professionals, thousands of people from
the Inland Northwest and beyond utilize Spokane's medical facilities each
year. A steady calendar of cultural and sporting events, big-name
entertainment, and recreational activities draw locals and out-of-towners
to the Spokane area for concerts, Broadway plays, the State B High School
Basketball Tournament, Hoopfest, and Bloomsday. To the east, Spokane
extends to the recently incorporated Spokane
Valley and high-tech Liberty Lake and maintains close ties to Post Falls
and Coeur d'Alene for quality-of-life issues. To the west, Spokane
is flanked by Airway
Heights and Fairchild
Air Force Base, home of the 92d Air Refueling Wing and Air National
Guard 141st Air Refueling Wing, who together are key enablers to the Air
Force’s Global Reach capability and provide direct support
to U.S. and Allied forces around the world.”
In the rural surroundings of the central part of the Fifth Congressional District, agriculture remains the primary economic mainstay; although, changing demographics have forced farms to resize and farmers to diversify their crops in order to meet the challenges of the world market. Rural towns have become increasingly creative in looking for ways to stabilize their economies, and promote growth. Larger towns in the central region, including Pullman and Cheney, rely on higher education (Washington State University and Eastern Washington University, respectively) and related support services to help drive the health of their communities.
South
The southern region of Washington's 5th district includes 4 counties. Walla Walla, Columbia, Asotin, and Garfield. Not only does the area have a stunning background of the Blue Mountains, the district is home of over 55 wineries. The surrounding areas are historically known for their agricultural based economy, however, the influence of three hospitals, three colleges, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the state penitentiary have helped stabilize Walla Walla's overall economy.
Agriculture is the dominant industry in the outlying Counties. Wheat is the number one crop. A variety of other crops generate a significant part of the annual harvest. One of the best known products is the Walla Walla Sweet Onion. There are also other varieties of crops including barley, corn, potatoes, asparagus, peas, and wine grapes.
Sunset magazine named the city of Walla Walla as the best in the western United States in the March 2002 issue and is also known as one of 2002's Dozen Distinctive Destinations.
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