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Ag leader Ament to retire from public serviceColorado Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Don Ament Jan. 3 announced his retirement from public service. Ament, 64, will return to his family farm near the town of Iliff in northeastern Colorado. "Serving as Colorado agriculture's principal advocate has been the most rewarding part of my career," Ament said. "I hope I have made some measure of difference for a brighter and more prosperous future for Colorado's farmers and ranchers." Ament was appointed to the state's top ag post in 1999 by Governor Bill Owens and has served in the position continuously since. Prior to serving in Owens' cabinet, Ament was a 12-year veteran of the Colorado General Assembly, serving four years in the state House of Representatives and eight as a State Senator. In the Senate, Ament served as Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, he chaired the Capitol Development Committee and served on the Senate Education Committee. Ament's public service began with his election to the local school board in Sterling, Colorado where he served fourteen years. He also served five years on the State Board of Education and was elected president of the Colorado Association of School Boards. Ament is regarded as one of the state's top water experts and has been an outspoken advocate for development of Colorado's natural resources, such as timber, coal and water. Ament served as president of the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture and chairman of the Natural Resources Committee of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Ament faced several challenges during his tenure, including several years of drought, an outbreak of chronic wasting disease in some of the state's alternative livestock herds, and dealing with the nation's first case of BSE . In addition, an economic downturn resulted in a 25 percent cut in the department's budget. In spite of these challenges, the agency expanded its domestic marketing efforts, updated its animal health statutes and established a sound financial footing for the State Fair. Ament's retirement is effective Jan. 9, 2007. Date: 1/9/07
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