[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 14, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING BILL FERGUSON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN T. SALAZAR

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 14, 2006

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of my 
constituents and a personal friend, Bill Ferguson. Bill Ferguson, or 
``Fergie'' as friends like to call him has had a long and distinguished 
career as a rancher and public servant in Ouray County, Colorado.
  Bill Ferguson was raised in Colorado. In the late 1970s he settled in 
the town of Ridgway. While Bill worked hard as a carpenter and his wife 
Liza as a waitress, they were able to save enough money to start their 
own business. The Park Nursery Garden Center soon became the premier 
native nursery in the area. Fergie also established a 120 acre ranch 
where he and Liza continue to raise 80-100 head of cattle per year. 
Both his ranch and his nursery are a great asset to the county and 
reflect Bill's life long ethic of caring for the land he was part of.
  In the 1990's, Bill was instrumental in developing a Geographical 
Information System program that eventually became the Southwest Data 
Center. The Center is still a vital tool for land use planning and 
management for Ouray County, surrounding governments and local citizens 
in Southwest Colorado.
  In 1999, Bill was appointed to the Ouray Board of County 
Commissioners and won re-election in November of 2000. Bill fought hard 
for the best interest of his community through the end of his term in 
2005. He worked to protect Ouray County's financial interest, preserve 
the open government process and helped restore the people's faith in 
government. As a county commissioner, Bill was noted for being the 
primary force behind legislation to designate Ouray County as a ``Right 
to Farm'' community, preserving the rights of farmers and ranchers to 
conduct their business without interference.
  A water rights' owner, Bill was appointed by Ouray County for two 
terms to sit on the Colorado River Conservation District Board of 
Directors, which is the oldest and most prestigious water conservation 
district in Colorado. As Ouray County's representative to the Colorado 
River District, Bill worked on land and water conservation projects for 
conservations trusts. According to fellow board members, Bill was 
always the best joke teller--a tough title to earn on a water district 
board, which is typically filled with amateur comedians. Bill also 
served on the Colorado River Water Users Association developing GIS-
based maps for educational purposes.
  With such a long list of accomplishments, it is easy to see that Bill 
is a leader in every sense of the word, but especially when it comes to 
water. Bill always has helped lead the fight to protect Western Slope 
water. I was honored to fight alongside him on many crucial battles to 
defend our rural way of life.
  I have been proud to know and work with Bill Ferguson on issues that 
are important to the Western Slope of Colorado. He has been a great 
personal friend, colleague and mentor on many water issues and I am 
honored to represent him in Congress.

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