[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 179 (Tuesday, October 28, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S7782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING THE OUTBACK

 Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, Idaho's veterans risked everything 
for our freedoms, and we owe them our immense gratitude. Many who 
returned from service continue to be mission-driven, highly skilled, 
dedicated to success, and have opened small businesses vital to the Gem 
State. This month, I am proud to recognize the veteran-owned small 
businesses that make Idaho's communities and economy thrive. As a 
member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business 
and Entrepreneurship, I am pleased to honor The Outback in Pierce as 
one of Idaho's Small Businesses of the Month for November 2025.
  Harv and Colleen Nelson purchased The Outback in 2006 by converting 
bunkhouses originally built in the 1930s into nightly rental cabins. 
Harv, a Marine Corps veteran, served 24 years as an Active-Duty combat 
engineer officer, light armored vehicle officer, and operations 
analyst. After serving across many duty stations, both domestically and 
abroad, Harv retired as a lieutenant colonel in the fall of 2002.
  During the remodel of The Outback, Harv's engineering experience 
proved invaluable as they expanded from 9 to 16 units, renovated, and 
upgraded the original bunkhouses. His experience is still a goldmine, 
as upkeep of 90-year-old cabins can be an uphill battle, but Harv 
describes owning and maintaining The Outback as winning the lottery.
  Colleen, who earned a degree in recreation management from the 
University of Idaho while raising four children and moving around with 
the Marine Corps, quickly became accustomed to the ins and outs of 
running the lodge. She and Harv work with two part-time employees who 
keep The Outback open for visitors.
  The Nelsons are very active in the Pierce community. Harv previously 
served as a Pierce City councilman, the president of the Pierce-Weippe 
Chamber of Commerce, and was an EMT for Clearwater County Ambulance. 
Until he retired from State of Idaho service in 2023, Harv served as 
the program coordinator for the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy and 
assistant fire chief, and he continues to serve as an elder in his 
church. This involvement has helped knit Harv and Colleen into the 
fabric of the Pierce community. Harv encourages other veterans who want 
to make an impact to find a small Idaho town and get involved.
  Thank you, Harv Nelson, for your service to our country, and 
congratulations to The Outback for being selected as an Idaho Small 
Business of the Month for November 2025. You are an outstanding example 
of the immeasurable impact veterans have in communities across Idaho 
and the U.S. You make the Gem State proud, and I look forward to your 
continued success.

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