Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
DOOLITTLE LEA ANNE
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS CO [NWN] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Senior Vice President
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
220 NW SECOND AVENUE		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/02/2009
(Street)

PORTLAND, OR 97209-3991		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 03/02/2009   F   803 D $ 40.95 5,190.753 D  
Common Stock               5,837.583 I See footnote (1)
Common Stock               395.042 I See footnote (2)
Common Stock               41.6373 I See footnote (3)
Common Stock               183 I See footnote (4)

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 31.34               (5) 03/04/2014 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 34.29               (6) 02/29/2016 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 44.48               (7) 02/28/2017 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 43.29               (8) 03/06/2018 Common Stock 4,000   4,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 41.15               (9) 03/04/2019 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 44.48               (10) 02/28/2017 Common Stock 600   600 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 43.29               (11) 03/06/2018 Common Stock 1,200   1,200 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 41.15               (12) 03/04/2019 Common Stock 1,000   1,000 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
DOOLITTLE LEA ANNE
220 NW SECOND AVENUE
PORTLAND, OR 97209-3991		       Senior Vice President  

Signatures

 MardiLyn Saathoff, Attorney-in-Fact   03/04/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Held in reporting person's account under issuer's Retirement K Savings Plan as of January 31, 2009.
(2) Credited to reporting person's account under issuer's Executive Deferred Compensation Plan as of February 13, 2009.
(3) Held in account of reporting person's spouse under the issuer's Retirement K Savings Plan as of January 31, 2009.
(4) Held in account of reporting person's spouse.
(5) Option was granted for 5,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option fully vested January 1, 2007.
(6) Option was granted for 3,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 750 shares on each February 22, 2007 and January 1, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
(7) Option was granted for 3,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 750 shares on each February 21, 2008 and January 1, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
(8) Option was granted for 4,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 1,000 shares on each February 27, 2009 and January 1, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
(9) Option was granted for 3,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 750 shares on each February 25, 2010 and January 1, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
(10) Option was granted to reporting person's spounse and granted for 600 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 150 shares on each February 21, 2008 and January 1, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
(11) Option was granted to reporting person's spounse and granted for 1,200 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 300 shares on each February 27, 2009 and January 1, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
(12) Option was granted to reporting person's spounse and granted for 1,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 250 shares on each February 25, 2010 and January 1, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

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