Floor Statements

I want to thank the chairman and ranking member for their wonderful leadership on this subcommittee.

I rise today to support what I consider to be my best legislative accomplishment since I came to Congress in 2004, but let me first say how important the investments that we are making in this bill are.

The nearly $2.5 billion for renewable energies will play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions, creating jobs, and producing clean energy. I especially want to point out the $225 million included for solar energy. The Third Congressional District of Colorado already has some of the largest solar farms in the world, and my constituents are already recognizing the very benefits of the solar industry.

The $1.13 billion included for the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation are so vitally important to the Western United States. As other speakers have mentioned, water continues to be a damper to the livelihood of many Westerners, and this investment in our Nation's water infrastructure from dams, canals, treatment plants, and rural water projects is extremely important to our rural citizens as they face crisis after crisis, from Colorado all the way to California.

This bill included several desperately needed dollars for rural water projects in Colorado. The $1.75 million for the Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Project in Mancos, Colorado, and the $600,000 for the Platoro Reservoir in the San Luis Valley will help provide major assistance to improving these rural water districts.

Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank the chairman and ranking member and all the staff of the subcommittee for taking a step that has not been taken for 50 years.

The roots of the Arkansas Valley Conduit stretch back to 1962, when President Kennedy signed the authorization by Congress, which was part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, which included the construction of Lake Pueblo. The Federal project was the end result of years of work by Pueblo and southern Colorado leaders who wanted to make better use of the region's water.

``This is the best news I've heard in a long time,'' said Bob Rawlings, publisher of the Pueblo Chieftain and an avid fighter for water rights in Colorado.

I am happy to say to the people of southeastern Colorado you will no longer have to wait for clean drinking water. Clean drinking water is on the way.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my mentor and close friend, Mr. Richard D. ``Dick'' MacRavey. After 26 years of service as the Secretary and Executive Director of the Colorado Water Congress, Dick is announcing his retirement. Throughout his tenure, Dick helped enact a multitude of important legislation to protect water resources throughout Colorado. As Executive Director, Dick saw 350 of the 419 Colorado Water Congress supported bills enacted into law. In addition, only one of the 123 bills opposed by the Colorado Water Congress became law. This impressive record demonstrates Dick's effective leadership and dedication to protecting Colorado's water.

During my time in the Colorado State Legislature, Dick took me under his wing and taught me a great deal about water legislation. As a farmer and lifelong resident of the San Luis Valley, I understand the importance of water. This precious resource is our lifeblood and essential to maintaining our way of life. Dick understood the needs of everyone--from farmers like me in rural Colorado to those in towns like Aspen, Carbondale, and Telluride and cities like Denver, Aurora, and Colorado Springs. With his guidance, I helped craft a piece of legislation, ``The Basin of Origin Protection,'' which I am very proud of. Although this bill was never enacted into law, the lessons that Dick taught me during this experience were invaluable. I will always consider Dick a great mentor and a friend.

Dick's dedication to protecting water and serving Colorado started long before his involvement with the Colorado Water Congress. He served 3 years as Executive Director to the Larimer-Weld Council of Governments and 7 years as Executive Director of the Colorado Municipal League. While at Larimer-Weld COG, Dick developed and guided the early stages of the Larimer-Weld ``208'' Water Quality Management Planning effort. In 1970, Dick served as chairman of the Colorado Good Government Committee for the promotion of the State constitutional amendments 1, Governors Cabinet; 2, State Civil Service Reorganization; and 3, Local Government Modernization. All three amendments were approved overwhelmingly by the people of Colorado. In addition, Dick was involved in six other statewide initiative campaigns and was successful in all six campaigns.

In 1988, Dick was appointed to Colorado Vision 2000, and in 1989, he was appointed to become part of the 16-member Legislative Council Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning for State Government. From 1969 to 1971, Dick served on the National League of Cities Board of Directors. He also served as a member of the Boards for the Colorado Water PAC and the Colorado Water Education Foundation. Dick is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, Colorado Society of Association Executives, American Water Works Association, and International City Management Association. Dick is one of Colorado's great leaders. He has been involved in many aspects of Colorado life and has worked tirelessly to protect our current and future generations.

However, it is his tireless fight for water that has been most inspiring to me. In 1999, Dick was named the 19th recipient of the Wayne N. Aspinall Water Leader of the Year award. This is a prestigious award in Colorado named after a former Congressman of the district I currently represent. Mr. Aspinall was a water champion for Colorado and instrumental in helping to ensure that Colorado residents have access to a safe water supply.

After I was elected to the U.S. House in 2004, Dick gave me a biography entitled ``Wayne Aspinall: Mr. Chairman.'' On the inside cover he wrote me an inspirational and encouraging message. It read:

To John Salazar. This book is about one of Colorado's great

Members of Congress. You will some day also rank as one of

the great members from Colorado. I have no doubts about your

future achievement. Your friend, Dick MacRavey. January 27,

2005.

Madam Speaker, this note touched my heart, and I keep this book with me in my congressional office. While serving in Congress, I will continue to fight for Colorado's water, and I hope that my efforts will make Dick MacRavey proud.

I wish Dick well in his retirement, and I want him to know he will always have a special place in my heart.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my mentor and close friend, Mr. Richard D. ``Dick'' MacRavey. After twenty-six years of service as the Secretary and Executive Director of the Colorado Water Congress, Dick is announcing his retirement. Throughout his tenure, Dick helped enact a multitude of important legislation to protect water resources throughout Colorado. As Executive Director, Dick saw 350 of the 419 Colorado Water Congress supported bills enacted into law. In addition, only one of the 123 bills opposed by the Colorado Water Congress became law. This impressive record demonstrates Dick's effective leadership and dedication to protecting Colorado's water.

During my time in the Colorado State Legislature, Dick took me under his wing and taught me a great deal about water legislation. As a farmer and life-long resident of the San Luis Valley, I understand the importance of water. This precious resource is our lifeblood and essential to maintaining our way of life. Dick understood the needs of everyone. From farmers, like me, in rural Colorado, to those in towns like Aspen, Carbondale and Telluride and cities like Denver, Aurora and Colorado Springs. With his guidance, I helped craft a piece of legislation, ``The Basin of Origin Protection,'' which I am very proud of. Although this bill was never enacted into law, the lessons Dick taught me during this experience were invaluable. I will always consider Dick a great mentor and friend.

Dick's dedication to protecting water and to serving Colorado started long before his involvement with the Colorado Water Congress. He served three years as Executive Director to the Larimer-Weld Council of Governments and seven years as Executive Director of the Colorado Municipal League. While at Larimer-Weld COG, Dick developed and guided the early stages of the Larimer-Weld ``208'' Water Quality Management Planning effort. In 1970, Dick served as Chairman of the Colorado Good Government Committee for the promotion of the State Constitutional Amendments One (Governor's Cabinet), Two (State Civil Service Reorganization) and Three (Local Government Modernization). All three amendments were approved overwhelmingly by the people of Colorado. In addition, Dick was involved in six other statewide initiative campaigns and was successful in all six campaigns.

In 1988, Dick was appointed to COLORADO VISION 2000 and, in 1989, he was appointed to become part of the 16-member Legislative Council Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning for the State Government. From 1969-71, Dick served on the National League of Cities Board of Directors. He also served as a member of the Boards for the Colorado Water PAC and the Colorado Water Education Foundation. Dick is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, Colorado Society of Association Executives, American Water Works Association and International City Management Association. Dick is one of Colorado's great leaders. He has been involved in many aspects of Colorado life and has worked tirelessly to protect our current and future generations.

However, it is his tireless fight for water that has been most inspiring to me. In 1999, Dick was named the nineteenth recipient of the ``Wayne N. Aspinall Water Leader of the Year Award.'' This is a prestigious award in Colorado named after a former Congressman of the District I currently represent. Mr. Aspinall was a water champion for Colorado and was instrumental in helping to ensure that Colorado residents have access to a safe water supply.

After I was elected to the U.S. House in 2004, Dick gave me a biography, entitled ``Wayne Aspinall: Mr. Chairman.'' In the inside cover, he wrote me an inspirational and encouraging message. It read:

To: John Salazar,

This book is about one of Colorado's great members of

Congress. You will some day also rank as one of the great

members from Colorado. I have no doubts about your future

achievement.

Your friend, Dick MacRavey. January 27, 2005.

This note touched my heart and I keep this book with me in my Congressional office. While serving in Congress, I will continue to fight for Colorado's water and I hope that my efforts will make Dick MacRavey proud.

I wish Dick well in his retirement and I want him to know that he will always have a special place in my heart.

First of all, I want to thank you for your diligence in trying to help the agricultural community in California.

On June 28 of 2009, Mr. Chairman, at the request of Congressman Costa and Congressman Cardoza, the Secretary of the Interior, Secretary Salazar and Deputy Secretary Hayes, Reclamation Commissioner Connor held a public meeting to address the issues of the drought in California.

But previous to that, I want to also thank the administration for previously working on issues, because they understood that the drought was of deep concern to this country.

In April of 2009, the Department announced the allocation of $220 million of ARRA funding from the Bureau of Reclamation for water and environmental infrastructure projects in California. Of this amount, $160 million was directed to projects to address needs of the Central Valley. Allocation of $40 million will be made for drought relief actions, most of which will go to California, with final awards coming very, very soon.

Reclamation has released $134 million in water recycling and water reuse grants, of which $120 million was allocated to communities of California. Reclamation has also processed over 100 transfers, totaling 263,000 acre-feet of water to address shortages in the San Joaquin Valley.

Reclamation has also accommodated a rescheduling request by Westside and other Central Valley Water Project contractors to allow them to preserve and use prior year allocations in the sum of 250,000 acre-feet in San Luis Reservoir and 57,000 acre-feet in Millerton Lake. Secretary Salazar has also asked Deputy Secretary Hayes to coordinate Federal efforts related to California water issues.

So I just want to commend the administration for their diligence in trying to address the issues in California.

I want to take a moment to recognize both Chairman Edwards and Ranking Member Wamp for their valiant effort in putting this bill together. I don't think there are any greater champions for military veterans and their families. All 17.5 million in the United States should applaud the chairman and the ranking member for their diligent fight.

Madam Chair, I would like to bring one specific project in the bill forward and not only thank the chairman and the ranking member, but also Secretary Shinseki and President Obama and the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Mr. Filner, for including the $119 million for the new Fitzsimmons Veterans Hospital in Denver, Colorado.

This facility will provide full service to half a million veterans currently residing in my home State of Colorado and many across the Rocky Mountain west. This new facility will be open and begin serving veterans by 2013. The 200-bed hospital will reach over a million square feet in size and include 30 special beds for spinal cord injuries.

I am proud that after over a decade of waiting, the veterans of the Rocky Mountain west and my State will finally benefit from this state- of-the-art facility.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a respected leader of Southwest Colorado, Mr. John Gamble of Durango. Mr. Gamble has served the community of Southwest Colorado with distinction for 24 years and is announcing his retirement this month.

In 1985, Mr. Gamble took over the new Southwest Colorado Volunteers of America in Durango, Colorado. Under his strong and steady leadership, the agency grew to provide many critical services to the community. At the beginning of his tenure, Mr. Gamble helped to open a domestic violence shelter to provide a safe haven for those in need. And, in the early 1990s, he led the effort to open a much needed homeless shelter. To fund all of these critical services, Mr. Gamble opened a very successful thrift store and led many colorful and profitable fundraising events. In his spare time, Mr. Gamble served on the Durango City Council, including a term as the mayor of that proud city.

Madam Speaker, I commend Mr. John Gamble for his outstanding service and dedication to the residents of Southwest Colorado. Mr. Gamble clearly has a heart for service and the skills to get the job done. His community is a better place due to his efforts. While we will all miss Mr. Gamble's service and leadership, I ask that you join me in wishing him well upon his retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an unsung hero from Southwest Colorado; Lt. Colonel Charlie Parnell of Durango. Charlie Parnell has selflessly and tirelessly been serving the veterans of Southwest Colorado for many years and it is time that he is recognized for this service.

In 1988, Lt. Colonel Parnell retired from the United States Air Force after 26 years of honorable service, including tours of duty in Germany, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. He is the proud recipient of the Bronze Star.

After struggling for 15 years to receive the disability benefits he had earned from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Lt. Colonel Parnell dedicated himself to helping his fellow veterans wade through the challenging VA benefits system so they too would receive the compensation they had earned. Since then, he has helped over 1000 veterans receive their benefits, and has done so completely at his own expense.

It is this type of above the call-of-duty service that makes this nation great. And it is this kind of service that deserves all of our recognition. When asked why he does what he does for his fellow disabled veterans, Lt. Colonel Parnell says simply, ``Because I can.''

Madam Speaker, today I rise to join the 1000 veterans in Colorado's Southwest region to thank and honor Charlie Parnell for his service to this country and to my constituents in the Third Congressional District.

Thank you, Lt. Colonel Parnell for your hard work and dedication to our nation.

Mr. Chairman, today I rise to enter into a colloquy with the distinguished chairman of the Transportation Committee.

First of all, Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and Mr. Costello for your strong leadership and for improving the safety of air ambulance operations. I want to thank you for working with us on this issue over the last

couple of years. I've had an opportunity to discuss my legislation with you.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to support your amendment, which includes a section that will enhance the safety of helicopters to the air medical safety community. As you know, there have been far too many fatal accidents over the years, and I thank the chairman for working on this issue over the past 4 years.

We have seen three fatal air ambulance crashes in my district. A flight crew from Steamboat Springs crashed on January 11, 2005. A few months later, on June 30, 2005, an EMS helicopter crashed in Mancos, Colorado. On October 4, 2007, we lost three lives near Pagosa Springs. Two of those involved fixed-wing aircraft, and that is why it's so critical to improve the safety standards on all aircraft that provide air ambulance services.

Mr. Lungren and I introduced legislation to increase the safety of all aircraft, not only of helicopters, and of pilots providing air ambulance services. Our legislation includes both helicopters and fixed wings.

I would like to ask if you would be willing to work with us to include all aircraft that provide air medical services in the future.

I yield to the chairman.

I appreciate the chairman's commitment, and I look forward to continuing to work together.

Mr. Chair, I thank the Gentleman from New York for yielding and I would like to recognize Chairman Oberstar and Chairman Costello for their exceptional leadership on this very important bill.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 915, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009, and urge its passage.

There are many good and important issues addressed in this bill: safety, nextgen, consumer protections, and increased funding to the Airport Improvement Program.

But I'd like to especially thank the leadership on the committee for working with me on several issues that are particularly important to my constituents back home.

H.R. 915 provides increased funding to local governments throughout the country to maintain and develop their airports, which serve as cornerstones for economic growth.

As many of us come from and represent small, rural communities, we appreciate the need to preserve and improve rural aviation programs, such as Essential Air Service.

EAS serves rural communities across the country that otherwise would not receive any scheduled air service.

There are more than 140 rural communities nationwide, including Cortez, Alamosa and Pueblo in my state of Colorado, that rely on this program and will benefit from this legislation.

And I again want to thank the Chairman for working with me to ensure our EMS flights meet the highest safety standards.

Overall, I'm pleased to see the improvements made in this bill and I hope the Senate will follow our lead and move this important piece of legislation.

I believe H.R. 915 ensures that we remain the world's safest aviation system, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 466 the Wounded Veteran Job Security Act.

It is more important than ever that we support this bill because of the difficult economic times facing our nation.

American servicemen and women put their lives on the line every day to ensure our freedoms.

Across the globe, U.S. troops are engaging in combat and humanitarian missions that place them in harms way.

Regardless of the danger, generations of Americans continue to answer the call of duty.

My father was an Army Staff Sergeant during World War II.

My brother and I served in the Army during the Vietnam era.

Most recently, my son's Army National Guard unit was activated after the September 11th attacks.

As a former member of the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs, I worked with my colleagues to ensure that Veterans had opportunities to find a job once they returned home.

It is important that veterans not only find a job, but they are not penalized by their employer for injuries or illnesses they received in the service of their nation.

A stable career path is essential to ensuring a seamless transition into civilian life.

It is unacceptable to merely provide equipment to protect our troops in combat without also having policies in place to protect them once they return home.

I hope to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to create policy that helps our veterans and their families prosper and enjoy the freedoms they helped to ensure.

Madam Speaker, I'd like to share with you and my esteemed colleagues the importance of the Upper Colorado River and San Juan River Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Program.

This program is a premier example of how to recover endangered fish species while also providing more than 3 million acre-feet of water per year to Federal, tribal and non-Federal water projects.

It has been cited as the most successful fish recovery program in the United States and is used as a model for other recovery programs developed across the country.

Today I am introducing the ``Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Improvement Act of 2009'' to ensure this program can finish the restoration projects identified for complete success.

This bill extends the authorization of programs until 2023. At that time the fish species of concern will be fully recovered and the infrastructure in place to ensure continued success.

The projects completed to date on the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins are examples of outstanding cooperation among a diverse group of local, state and federal governmental agencies, environmental groups, water users and utility consumers.

People ask why they've never heard of this recovery program and that's because it has been so successful. The fish identified as being under threat have been substantially maintained.

This bill is critical for the continued and final success of the projects necessary for recovery of the endangered fish.

Madam Speaker, this evening, the Southwestern Colorado Water Conservation District will bid farewell to a most dedicated, knowledgeable and remarkable man who has served on its board for 55 years.

Fred V. Kroeger of Durango, Colorado is a devoted man--to his family, his community and water resources.

Fred was born in 1918 in Durango, Colorado and he lived there all his life. He graduated from Fort Lewis College and he made his home there with his beloved wife Eleanor. Fred and Eleanor raised their children in Durango and operated a business there--Kroeger's True Value Hardware.

But Fred's grandfather and father were tied to the rural land and the agricultural economy of the region, and Fred's commitment to the farmers and ranchers who were his neighbors continued throughout his life. That commitment was evidenced by Fred's steadfast support for the Animas-La Plata Project, which was to deliver water to the ``dry side'' so that those farmers and ranchers could thrive with a more reliable and generous water supply. To this day, Fred bemoans the loss of the irrigation features of the project, which is now nearly complete but is limited to municipal and industrial supplies.

Indeed, the first water meeting Fred attended was with the Southwestern District to discuss the Animas-La Plata Project in 1948. In addition to serving on that board, Fred served on the Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District board for 24 years, the Colorado Water Conservation Board for 21 years and has been a member of the Colorado Water Congress for 51 years.

That organization bestowed upon Fred the prestigious Wayne Aspinall Water Leader of the Year Award, given in the name of one of my predecessors who chaired the then-House Interior Committee where many of the water projects Fred Kroeger fought for were developed.

Fred was active in his community and its civic and cultural organizations. He always carries a little pocket calendar with him, and it is jammed with meeting commitments to boards, business, family and friends.

At 91, Fred has decided to free up some of those days on the calendar, and so he decided to retire from the Southwestern District board. He richly deserves the recognition he will receive tonight from his colleagues. I offer not only my congratulations to him on his retirement, by a little regret that he will be leaving and a mountain of respect for what he has given to the water resource community.

Mr. Speaker, today the House voted on final passage of H.R. 1256, The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. I was unavoidably detained and was unable to be here for the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on the bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of fire engineer William ``Billy'' D. Pine, an American hero who touched the lives of many. Born on July 3, 1979 in Yuma, Colorado, Mr. Pine lived a brave and courageous life putting out fires in his community.

Known as the lovable firehouse prankster with an infectious smile and contagious laugh, Mr. Pine was both admired and respected by his fellow firefighters. After joining the Pueblo Fire Department in 2004, he quickly became active in the Union and planned firehouse activities. Mr. Pine was a ``firefighter's firefighter'' and his coworkers quickly became his second family.

Mr. Pine was committed to both his work and his family. He met his wife, Janice, shortly after moving to Pueblo in 2003. The two were set up on a lunch date by a mutual friend and immediately became inseparable. They married in July 2005 and, the following April, welcomed the birth of their daughter, Sydney Taylor. Mr. Pine loved being a father and was dedicated to providing a good life for his family.

However, on October 4, 2006, when Sydney was only 6 months old and he only 27, the unexpected happened. When Mr. Pine rolled over in bed to help his wife with her homework, a tumor burst, causing his intestine to erupt. After being rushed to the hospital, Mr. Pine was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and immediately began chemotherapy. While his family and friends struggled with the shocking news, Mr. Pine stayed strong.

Throughout chemotherapy, Mr. Pine remained dedicated to the fire department. On good days, he would go in to work. On bad days, his coworkers would cover his shifts and send him the paycheck. In April 2008, Mr. Pine was able to return to work full-time and fought in one last fire. When a deadly brushfire swept through Olney Springs on April 15, Mr. Pine responded to the call. When he got there, two of his fellow firefighters were stuck behind a downed power line. Although, as a trained fire engineer, Mr. Pine was required to stay at the controls of his pumper truck, he went into the blaze and saved the two men. He was their hero.

Mr. Pine showed amazing strength and courage until the very end. Tragically, he lost his battle with cancer on August 19, 2008 at age 29. I send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Pine and am proud to announce that his name will be added to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Colorado Springs on September 19, 2009. Mr. Pine was a kind, loyal and genuine man who inspired those around him. May he be remembered along with the other heroes in Colorado who have given their lives protecting this country.

I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Chairman Grijalva for all their hard work on this Omnibus Public Lands Management Act. The public lands package includes five bills critical to my district in western and southern Colorado, and we have been working on this ever since day one that I got here to Congress.

The Jackson Gulch project supplies water to the town of Mancos, the Mancos Water Conservancy District, the Mancos Rural Water Company, and it is the sole supplier of municipal water for Mesa Verde National Park. The project provides irrigation water for over 13,000 areas.

The Baca Wildlife Refuge Management Act will amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preservation Act of 2000 to explain the purpose and provide for the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge.

This legislation defines the purpose of the refuge ``to restore, enhance, and maintain wetlands, upland, riparian and other habitats for native wildlife, plant and fish species in the San Luis Valley.''

The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area will designate a national heritage area in Conejos, Costilla and Alamosa Counties. It will bring deserved attention to the rich culture, heritage and landscape of the San Luis Valley.

The Arkansas Valley Conduit will establish a 65 percent Federal cost share for the construction of the conduit, a proposed 130-mile water delivery system from Pueblo Dam to communities throughout the Arkansas River Valley. Generations of people in southeast Colorado have waited long enough for clean and safe drinking water.

The Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area will conserve water and land resources in approximately 210,000 acres of federally owned land on the Uncompahgre Plateau in lands in Montrose, Delta and Mesa Counties.

Mr. Speaker, this is actually one of the proudest days of my legislative career. I worked side by side with my younger brother, the now Secretary of the Interior, when he was in the Senate, Ken Salazar, for the past 4 years to make these efforts a reality. This will help protect Colorado's land, water, and natural beauty for generations to come. I want to thank the chairman once again and thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a true icon of Colorado, Mr. John R. Fetcher. John Fetcher passed away on Friday, February 6, 2009. He was 97 years old.

I saw John Fetcher just last week at the Colorado Water Congress meeting in Denver. He was a mentor to me, and he epitomized the phrase ``the stuff that legends are made of.''

In 1949, John decided to move to northwest Colorado where he settled on the Elk River outside of Steamboat Springs. A Harvard-trained engineer and a rancher at heart, John Fetcher made his mark on Colorado by building reservoirs, by managing water districts and by bringing what is now the Steamboat Ski Area into the modern age.

Fetcher was a pioneer in the ski industry. He designed and tested the first metal ski; he revolutionized the building of ski jumps and ski areas, and he was elected to the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

However, it was John's work of preserving the water of the Yampa Valley that he claimed as his most successful accomplishment. In a 2006 interview and at 96 years young, he explained, ``If they take our water, we're out of business. It's that simple.'' He understood, perhaps more than anyone I have ever met, that water truly is the lifeblood of the West.

In the 1970s, he led the effort to build the Yamcolo Reservoir, calling it a ``godsend to the ranchers.'' He followed his effort with the creation of Steamboat Lake and Stagecoach Reservoir, complete with a small hydro-powered plant.

Throughout his career, John Fetcher created, managed and continued to work with local water and sewer districts such as the Mount Werner Sewer and Water District and the Upper Yampa River Water Conservancy District. Fetcher also served two terms as a member of the Colorado Water Conservation Board from 1970 to 1980. A farmer and rancher himself, John was connected to the land and knew the value of a hard day's work.

Last year, I was shocked to pick up the paper and see the headline blare ``Fletcher to semi-retire.'' He was 96 years old at the time. I guess he had the right to switch only to part-time work.

Colorado lost a legend on Friday--a lover of life, a caretaker of our precious land and water, a tireless worker, a pioneer in the ski industry, a rancher, a devoted public servant, and a loving father and grandfather. He was one of the finest men whom I have ever met. He will be missed but never forgotten, having left a legacy that will live on for generations to come.

Madam Speaker, my heart goes out to John's family.