Exploring Bigfoot's Legacy: The Army Corps of Engineers' Surprising Tribute

Have you heard about the connection between the United States Army Corps of Engineers and Bigfoot? Back in 1975, the Corps released the Washington Environmental Atlas, a comprehensive book that cost over $200,000 to make and took three years to research and compile. The atlas contains official maps, graphs, status levels, and reports regarding various aspects of the state's environment, including its native plants and animals. One of the native creatures given its own page in the atlas is Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch. The official description of Sasquatch from the atlas is as follows: "The very existence of Sasquatch or Bigfoot, as it is sometimes known, is hotly disputed. Some profess to be open-minded about the matter, stating that not one piece of evidence will withstand serious scientific scrutiny. Others, because of a particular incident or the totality of reports over the years, are convinced that Sasquatch is a reality. Alleged Sasquatch hair samples inspected by FBI Laboratories resulted in the conclusion that no such hair exists on any human or presently known animal for which such data are available. Information from alleged sightings, tracks, and other experiences conjures up the picture of an ape-like creature standing between 8 and 12 feet tall, weighing in excess of one thousand pounds, and taking strides of up to six feet. Plaster castes have been made of tracks showing a large squarish foot 14 to 24 inches in length and 5 to 10 inches in breadth. Reported to feed on vegetation and some meat, the Sasquatch is covered with long hair except for the face and hands and has a distinctly human-like form. Sasquatch is very agile and powerful, with the endurance to cover a vast range in search of food, shelter, and others of its kind. It is apparently able to see at night and is extremely shy, leaving minimal evidence of its presence. Tracks are presently the best evidence of its existence." The atlas also includes a short film of an alleged female Sasquatch, which, although scoffed at by some, shows no indications of fabrication. As soon as the atlas was released to the public, residents of Washington took it as proof that the United States government officially regarded Sasquatch as a living, breathing, existing creature. Why else would the Army Corps of Engineers list Bigfoot within its native species list if it didn't actually exist? However, the government of Washington and the United States Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District made it known that Bigfoot was not an official recognized species of the state of Washington or the United States. The creature was regarded as a local legend and myth, and the page detailing Sasquatch was recognized as a tongue-in-cheek addition to the book that the project leaders felt some readers and researchers might find humorous. Despite the official statement, many true believers did not accept this answer. They questioned why an official government publication would waste money on a full-page joke and why that joke would be the only one found within all 114 pages. Some cried conspiracy at the fact that the United States government appeared to be actively trying to backtrack on what its official report stated. Regardless of whether Bigfoot is a real, living creature or a well-known legend, the inclusion of Sasquatch in the Washington Environmental Atlas of 1975 helps keep the legend alive. It gets people talking and helps open a dialogue on other cryptid creatures that fall into the same category as Sasquatch. It pushes those who legitimately want to believe that these creatures are real out into the world in order to search, explore, and prove their existence. If you're interested in learning more about the Washington Environmental Atlas of 1975 and the inclusion of Sasquatch, you can check out the video from the YouTube channel Mystery Chronicles Of The Unknown. Who knows, it might just make you a believer.