[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3457]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF JOHN FETCHER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Salazar) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SALAZAR. 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.

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