Rosen and Coffman and the Post

Hostility over Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site

Representative Mike Coffman’s guest column in the Denver Post recently asserted that Colorado’s “Hostility has made our own Army feel unwelcome”. More recently, Mike Rosen devoted his June 19 column to the defense of Rep. Coffman’s remarks and argued in favor of Pinon Canyon expansion. Rosen and Rep. Coffman distort the politics of Pinon Canyon expansion. They begin with the premise that expansion is a military necessity and argue that the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition (PCEOC) is “anti-military” and driven by “NIMBYism“ along with “assorted peaceniks, enviros and animal rights activists”. Pinon Canyon expansion is not a military necessity. It is about the federal dollars that accompany additional troops at Ft. Carson. The Opposition Coalition is the voice of the entire Southeast Colorado community fighting for their rights, their land, their businesses, and their lives. The coalition spans the political spectrum and includes veterans of from WW II to Desert Storm and families with sons and daughters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Coalition fully expects our military to properly train our men and women in uniform. However, we reject that private lands must be nationalized to train troops when the Department of Defense already owns 25 million acres that are not fully and efficiently utilized. A 2005 BRACC document assigned an additional brigade to Ft Carson and stated explicitly that this assignment did not require the expansion of Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. The BRACC document shows that Ft. Carson will remain a necessary and viable Army Base. Rep. Coffman’s and Mr. Rosen’s assertions that Ft. Carson will be closed without Pinon Canyon expansion are fear mongering.

Since 2005, the Army proposed two additional brigades be stationed at Ft. Carson. We oppose additional brigade assignments only if they build the need for Pinon Canyon Expansion. Our opposition is based on the availability of other land already owned by the Department of Defense to train troops. For example, in a Feb. 2009 House Committee Hearing Rep. Bishop, (R) Utah, indicated that the “Army has been blind to potential training ground the Army already owns”. He asked why the Army has not looked seriously at the “under-utilized” 1.68 million acre Dugway Training Range as a solution to the Army’s need for training lands. Similarly, recent comments from Senator Hutchison, (R) Texas, indicate that existing Army lands (Ft. Bliss and Ft. Hood) are not fully utilized. Rep. Coffman cites the Ft. Carson Commander in asserting that Pinon Canyon Expansion is necessary. However, this is a single base perspective. The disruption of a private sector economy and the taking of private land warrants a nation-wide evaluation of Dept. of Defense land use. Despite multiple opportunities and requests, the Army has failed to provide this documentation.

Rep. Coffman, and Mr. Rosen attempt to make Pinon Canyon expansion a partisan issue. Since 2006 the state politics opposing Pinon Canyon expansion have been strongly bi-partisan with overwhelming votes on legislation (HB 1069, and HB 1317) in both houses of the Colorado legislature. The issue has been regional rather than partisan with dissenting votes coming predominantly from El Paso County and vicinity. I understand that Rep. Coffman and Mr. Rosen do not care about the history, environment, and culture of Southeast Colorado that drives opposition to expansion from the left. But they should care about the un-necessary nationalization of private land. They should also care about the disruption of the private sector Southeast Colorado economy in order to create more dependence on federal dollars in the El Paso County. The Army’s mission is to defend this country, not to support local economies.

Future Combat Systems (FCS) renamed

Also read an article in 'Nextgov' publication


Perhaps the expansion plan has never been about training troops at Fort Carson, or about traditional mechanized units. Maybe it's about real-time satellite communications with dispersed units and unmanned air and ground vehicles controlled from Colorado Springs.

One of the things you see all over the place in the Army documents is "band width" and "electro-magnetic spectrum." This is where the billions of dollars of spending are going to the defense contractors in Lamborn's and Coffman's districts. (http://www.i-a-i.com/view.asp?aid=204)

The series of I3MP antennas that have gone up at PCMS are the building blocks of this system. (There's a pretty good description of how this all fits together on pages 4-6 of the Digital Battlefield Handbook; http://www.aerospace-index.com/images/2006homeai/DBH07.pdf. This handbook also has a pretty complete listing of the defense contractors involved with various aspects of the plan.)

It should also be noted that this program is further along already at Fort Bliss. But why hasn't the DoD told the truth about why they "need" a bigger PCMS; why they continue to claim it's about the training needs of troops at Fort Carson. Because it involves new weapons that are just in the imagination phase?

Though it's all a mute point if one really looks at the facts that show there is still ample space for testing any such new system on property already owned/managed by the DoD.

.

Governor Ritter gets welcome from southeast CO

Friday, June 19, 2009 Governor Ritter made several stops along the front range and then East on Hwy 50 to La Junta. He met with commissioners from six counties and received a thank you from PCEOC along with Connie Hass' pictures of the albino eagle framed for his office wall.

La Junta Tribune Democrat on Gov visit with Commissioners from six counties

Mr. Ritter stated he was impressed that the southeast Colorado commissions worked together in a bi-partisan fashion and that he would not be able to say who was Democrat or who was Republican. There aren't any Republican or Democrat issues - there are only our issues. He has shown he doesn’t hide behind partisan politics either. Governor Ritter said “that is how I approached the Pinon Canyon issue. I looked at the facts and listened to all sides and am certain I did the right thing signing HB1317.” He goes on to say “Fort Carson will continue to be a great addition to the State and the El Paso County area yet southeastern Colorado’s ranchers, farmers, businesses and communities should also be allowed to work in and promote their own communities without threat of takeover.”

Thank you once again, Governor Ritter.

The spending ban is in effect and looks to be carried into 2010

June 18, 2009

Congressman Salazar Statement on Piñon Canyon

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman John Salazar released the following statement today with regards to Piñon Canyon:

"Despite the misleading story in today's Denver Post, I will never call a "truce" in the battle over protecting my constituents' private property rights. No authorization exists to expand Piñon Canyon - period. Congress has not authorized any expansion and, for the 3rd year in a row at my request, has banned funds for expansion. You cannot have expansion without authorization and funding - and I will oppose any effort to get either. The fight to permanently end expansion may be a long one, however for as long as I serve in Congress, I will fight any effort to advance an expansion of Piñon Canyon."

The Chronicle News 6-17-09

Louden, Robertson continue to
speak out against PCMS expansion

By David J. Santistevan Jr.
The Chronicle –News

How much land does the Army really want to expand the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS)? Seven million acres, 6.5 million acres over a 15 to 20 year period according to a 23,000 page document the army turned over about a year ago. This was just one of the topics covered by Mack Louden, Not One More Acre, and Lon Robertson, Piñon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition, (PCEOC) at Tuesday’s weekly Kiwanis luncheon.

The Army already owns 245,000 acres of land east of Trinidad at the PCMS which it uses for large scale brigade
machine combat maneuvers and exercises to train troops, including tank and armored vehicle training.

For the last three years the Army has wanted to expand at PCMS. The Army has been eyeballing close to another 500,000 acres. This may be phase one in the ultimate goal of 7 million acres. “We are going to die a slow death in Southeastern Colorado if the army gains anymore land.” Louden explained. “We (Trinidad) need to think about Pueblo. Pueblo needs to think about us. We need to think about La Junta and La Junta about us. Together we need to look out for each other and help one another out regionally in Southeast Colorado.” Louden also discussed how important agriculture is in the region and how it has always been a stable part of our local economy through good and bad times and how agriculture will be here for many years to come. Louden added, “A short term gain may not be good for the region in the long run. This started out at Piñon Canyon and it could grow to expanding throughout the region, so we need to be thinking what can we do to keep this region alive.”

Louden talked about the federal lawsuit in court right now, saying $140 million the army wants to spend to build infrastructure could give them an opening to acquire more land. What is the army building? The Honorable Judge Dennis Maes, who is hearing the case agrees with the opposition that landowners need at least two weeks notice before the army starts to build any infrastructure out at the PCMS. So far nothing has been built. Two weeks ago Maes did ask the army if they had built anything out at PCMS, and the Army said no. Maes then
replied, “Make sure you don’t build anything out there.” Congressman John Salazar and Congresswomen Betsy Markey have stated that they will not give the army anymore funds for expansion in southeastern Colorado.

Both Louden and Lon Roberson (PCEOC) thanked Loretta Kennedy a representative from Rep. Salazar’s office who was in attendance at the luncheon. Robertson also spoke to the interested crowd about all of the broken promises including how the local economy was to benefit from the army coming to town and how the community still have not seem any of this.

Robertson mentioned a local rancher who lost his ranch the fist time around and said, “They (the army) has ways of making you a willing seller. This is so much bigger than a few ranchers concerned about this issue, it is so much bigger than that. We as Americans should be concerned about things like this happening in our country, things that can change our lives.” Roberson said, “Different groups that don’t usually see eye to eye on different issues agree on this one, that expansion at PCMS is not the right thing for our region.” The opposition has gained strong bipartisan support at the state, local, and federal levels. Over the past two years there have been two separate bills (HB 1096 and HB 1317) passed and signed into law.

Robertson added, “We would like to thank our local commissioners, local residents, Wes McKinley, Sal Pace, Ken Kester, Rep. Markey, Rep. Salazar, for helping put road blocks in front of the military’s ill-conceived plan to takeover almost 7 million acres of Southeastern Colorado. The question of why the army wants or even needs to expand has been asked many times over the past three years, and the army never has really answered that question. “We want our troops trained, and we want everyone to know that we believe in a strong military, but we need to have a strong nation, which is founded on being able to process our own food and being self sufficient.”

Robertson added, “We would like to thank the county for all of its support and for keeping this issue in the forefront. We can win this fight but we have a lot of fighting in front of us.”

Lamborn didn't stop anything - it was already law!

Last Monday night, Congressional members pushing Pinon Canyon expansion, argued against the amendment on the grounds that it was already law! It is already law.

They actually passed out a piece of paper that cited the part of U.S. Code that applies saying, “10 USC 2664 clearly states that “no military department may acquire real property not owned by the United States unless the acquisition is expressly authorized by law.”

Those last 4 words are key. They have NO funds for expansion (thanks to the funding ban). They have no authorization for expansion. They cannot expand. Expansion is not going to happen. They have neither funds nor authorization, so they need to move on.

Governor Ritter to be in LaJunta Friday the 19th

Governor Ritter to be in La Junta Fri at 6pm at the Tippy Martinez park @ 18th & San Juan - for a picnic. Please come by and tell him thanks for signing 1317.

Pueblo Chieftain - Salazar renews temporary ban

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Panel renews Pinon Canyon funding ban

John Salazar

Betsy Markey

Rep. John Salazar sponsors amendment to continue moratorium.

By PETER ROPER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

June 17, 2009 12:06 am

Two years ago, it took a dramatic vote of the full House of Representatives to approve Colorado Rep. John Salazar's amendment blocking the Army from spending any money in 2008 on the proposed expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.

Since then, the tide of support in Congress for Salazar and the ranchers opposing the expansion has swollen to where the House Appropriations Committee now includes the funding ban in the annual Defense Department budget without opposition. That's what happened last summer and again on Tuesday, when the three-term Democrat renewed his annual funding ban in the 2010 Defense Department financing act.

"We put the amendment in again without opposition," Salazar confirmed Tuesday after the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs passed its section of the annual Pentagon budget. Salazar now sits on that committee, having joined the appropriations panel this year. Pinon Canyon is in Salazar's 3rd Congressional District.

Having the funding ban added in the subcommittee "mark up" - with full approval of its chairman, Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas - means it would take a successful amendment on the House floor to erase Salazar's ban. It is highly unlikely that House Democratic leaders would allow such an amendment to even be offered.

But that's what Salazar and then-Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., did two years ago in getting the full House to accept that first moratorium on Pinon Canyon. With Musgrave working the Republican aisles and Salazar the Democratic side, the House voted 383-35 to add the ban to the 2008 defense budget.

Musgrave was defeated for re-election by Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., last November, but Markey has made every effort to maintain the same energetic opposition to any Pinon Canyon expansion. Markey's 4th Congressional District includes the Eastern Plains to the east of Pinon Canyon.

She is working with Salazar this year in pushing for a comprehensive ban on any expansion of the 238,000-acre training area in the future.

On Tuesday, Markey quickly sent out a statement affirming her support for the vote in the military construction committee. "Preserving the ban on funding for the Pinon Canyon expansion sends a strong message of support for private property rights in our state," she said.

Army officials argue they need to expand Pinon Canyon to support the growing number of troops based at Fort Carson. They also have argued they can use money from other budget accounts to acquire more land at Pinon Canyon, but Colorado lawmakers reacted harshly in March at the news the Army was attempting to lease land despite the funding ban. Salazar, who had moved to the powerful House appropriations panel by then, said he would use his new committee position to block any expansion not supported by the ranchers in Las Animas County.

proper@chieftain.com

Opinon piece from Durango Herald

From:

---

End Pinon Canyon expansion plans

Article Last Updated; Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The United States Army is not known for accepting defeat, but there is a time and place for everything. And it is past time for the Army to give up its plan to grab thousands of acres of Colorado.

Read the rest of the article at the Durango Herald

Congressman Salazar insures temporary ban stays in place

John Salazar makes sure we keep the emergency brake on while we're working on a permanent brake!

Be sure to continue to send your support and calls to our legislators to back them in getting a permanent ban in place.

Sites to contact our local legislators

• Senator Mark Udall (D-CO)

• Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)

• Representative John Salazar (Cong Dist 3)
  

• Representative Betsy Markey (Cong Dist 4)

From KRDO 13 News :

Pinon Canyon Funding

Posted: June 14, 2009 10:28 AM

Updated: June 14, 2009 10:28 AM

DENVER - U.S. Rep. John Salazar says a funding ban on the Army's plan to expand a southeast Colorado training site will be extended for another year.

Salazar told The Pueblo Chieftain this week he's been assured by the chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee that the two-year ban will continue.

The Army said last month it would not budget money next year to buy land for the Pinon Canyon Maneuver site.

The Army says it needs to expand the 370-square-mile training site to accommodate new weapons, tactics and soldiers.

But ranchers have opposed the expansion, saying it would hurt the area's agriculture economy and permanently damage the land.

Trinidad Business owner anti-community

The letter below from the Trinidad McDonald's franchise owner Phelan in a recent letter to the editor in the Trinidad Times Independent.

PCEOC: Maybe they should have thought all of this through before they promised OUR LAND AND OUR LIVES for their GROWTH IN THE SPRINGS. The hierarchy pushing the expansion is not thinking about training - their thinking about dollars in their pockets. Other comments by PCEOC are also in blue and inserted in the opinion letter


'Cause and effect' in economy

Editor:

Could you imagine the results if the U.S. Olympic Team stationed in Colorado Springs had to go to Texas to conduct their specialty training; or if the County Commissioners had to travel the small distance to Denver - each time they needed to conduct a meeting. [Neither the US Olympic Team nor the County Commissioners have 25,000,000 acres to select from - Apples and oranges Mr. Phelan]

If you said disastrous, you'd be correct. [disastrous to whom - Colorado Springs? what about the rest of Colorado if an expansion is allowed - catastrophic is the word for that one]

So, if the Army can't train locally near its post, and has to train in remote locations, how prepared are they going to be? [train as they fight also means travel as they would in war time - or are we going to be sure that the next war is brought closer to Fort Carson to make it more convenient?]

Therefore, it would be my expectation that neither of these organizations would remain in their current location; opting to relocate closer to where they can conduct their training. [Fort Carson troops are getting the training they need now (and 99% of it is NOT at PCMS) and BRAC says they have room at Fort Carson EXCLUDING PINON CANYON for the two more BCTs BRAC called for - Fort Carson is not going anywhere and they're trying to use fear tactics to say otherwise]

Hence, the reason why Fort Carson has already lost one of its allocations for an additional combat brigade - [they never lost anything because it NEVER EXISTED - the PLAN FOR ANOTHER BCT will not be followed through on because Gates said it was too much and they don't have the manpower to staff them] and I would also predict it will lose future troops to a post more accommodating to their needs. This will be at a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the Colorado economy. The Army isn't going to pay to travel to Texas each time it needs to conduct training, which is nearly every day. It will begin to relocate its divisions. [again, you can't lose what you don't have to begin with - BRAC indicated the number of additional brigades that could be handled in Colorado and Fort Carson is trying to exceed that by two or three times - if you bite off more than you can chew you'll choke - They are overstepping their bounds and unless they quickly end the folly they WILL CHOKE and it won't be because we didn't tell them 'told you so']

As you know, the Colorado economy is already at the brink of disaster. Colorado has shut down the oil and gas producers, it's kicking out its military - soon all that's left to pay the bills is its citizens. Today, the State of Colorado is so desperate for funds that it charges an additional $100 fine for registering your car late. [it's important to realize that total dependence on the feds and the military is not a 'well rounded' economy but the surge in alternative energy production and plants making such things as wind generators and solar components are examples of many other completely new opportunities available to Colorado. Southeast Colorado is a prime area for such 'economic boosts' as the wind and sun are readily available and it's a compatible use with the present economic structure. It won't take away the base economy as an expansion would but compliment it instead]

Can you begin to imagine the cost its citizens will bear in the near future? [Can you imagine an economy totally dependent on the Feds and the military? Even Colorado Springs is saying they need to diversify and get other forms of business and more stability in their economy - hmmmmm writing on the wall if you elect to read it]

I am just educating you of the issue of "Cause and Effect" - that every cause has an effect.

Let's just hope we all can afford the effect of the new liberal Colorado causes. [spoken like a true Springs conservative - (a Springs conservative/Republican, unlike the rest of the state, is one that preaches federalization and dependence on the government to provide a segment of the economy that won't pay taxes or support local needs) - the majority of the State of Colorado's Republicans and Democrats alike are NOT supporting federalization of our state in the form of an expansion of PCMS and the resultant loss of private property rights & ag production - PCEOC ]

D. Lee Phelan Sr.

Trinidad

Tom Warren back?

We're trying to get confirmation but it would seem that Tom Warren is back in the lime light. He's purportedly introducing a 'new' commander for PCMS/Fort Carson - Lt Col something in Trinidad next week we believe.

We'll post as we know more.

Here's a post on the Westerner blog pertaining to perceptions about Tom following the announcement he is (was) being investigated.

.

Pinon Canyon - Colorado's 'bridge to nowhere'

TX Senator Kay Bailey Huchison's suggestion to use Fort Bliss would simply be using land they already have, which is what we've been advocating all along.

We have everyone in agreement on this one, all-important point. Rep. Bishop, Rep. Coffman, Sen. Hutchinson, and now the Colorado Springs Business Journal; all accepting the reality that the Army can use training ranges that they already have.

How can the Army argue to Congress, "Well yes, as BRAC says, we have adequate space at Fort Carson/Pinon Canyon to meet our current training needs, and yes, we have space at Fort Bliss for increased training. But the defense contractors in Colorado and the business community in Colorado Springs would like us to expand Pinon Canyon as a favor to them."

The argument that Pinon Canyon expansion is a "military necessity" is not viable.

Pinon Canyon expansion is a "bridge to nowhere."

Intelligent response to the Post Editorial

There are some really good reader's comments on Coffman's Denver Post editorial.(http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_12513192.) They are gratifying as a guage of our statewide support and the depth of understanding that people are gaining on the issue. This one is the best of the lot:

Congressman Coffman's commentary seeks to paint a very distorted picture of the Pinon Canyon issue. After having watched his political and military career since the pre-Desert Storm era I am deeply disappointed that he published this commentary.

Beyond the misleading title it is nearly preposterous to contend that the Army would abandon Fort Carson and Pinon Canyon for lack of expansion. Certainly that is the factual blurring attempted in this commentary. It is a false threat to believe that what currently exists as the real estate assets of Fort Carson is insufficient to ensure its survival throughout the future of the US Army.

Someone should provide the good Congressman with a background packet on the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. The final reports of the last two rounds of BRAC provide enough glowing evaluations of the value of the existing Pinon Canyon to effectively refute almost all of the concocted deficiencies being parroted by Congressman Coffman.

The complaint that is coming from Congressman Coffman and his El Paso County colleague, Congressman Lamborn, is that Fort Carson will not realize the exponential growth that is so vital to the Colorado Springs area.

This is little more than a fool-hardy pursuit of building an even bigger Army basket for that community to trust with an even greater share of its economic "eggs." Colorado Springs has been in desperate need of strength through economic diversity. The priorities and philosophy presented by Congressman Coffman are effectively counter-productive to the economic health of the region and the State.

During my 26-years of military service I never experienced perfect field training. It just isn’t possible and I spent a considerable amount at time at the Army training centers that are larger than Fort Carson and Pinon Canyon combined. The contention that Pinon Canyon is not big enough is a political argument easily overcome by the ingenuity and imagination of Army unit commanders and their Operations (training) Officers. Following that doctrine has been successful for decades.

Where the land that is available is less that doctrinally perfect you use simulations and minimize the number of maneuver units. That the recent Fort Carson leadership chose to further restrict the available maneuver land at Pinon Canyon by reversing decades of policy and allowing live munitions is their own folly, and not a penalty to borne by the neighboring private property owners.

Ralph Trenary

Trinidad Times Independent on the week in review

State lands withheld from Piñon Canyon expansion

By Randy Woock
Staff writer, The Times Independent

Gov. Bill Ritter signed a bill this week to prohibit Colorado from leasing or selling State Land Board lands south of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) to the Army for the proposed expansion of the Las Animas County site northeast of Trinidad.

State Rep. Wes McKinley, who sponsored HB 09-1317 along with and Rep. Sal Pace, called the bill signing a victory for property rights in southern Colorado. "This shows that private property rights are still honored in Colorado and our governor recognizes that," he said.

Pace did not return calls seeking comment before press time, but had explained the importance of the bill in a previous interview as, "If (the Army) didn't get Land Board land they couldn't get a contiguous expansion together...that's something the Army's said all along, that it (the expansion) needs to be contiguous. Land Board land is all over and it's in small parcels, makes it almost impossible for the Army to expand without it."

The bill also requires the state's attorney general to prevent the Army from using condemnation on any of the state land in the Army's area of interest for the expansion.

Piñon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition (PCEOC) member Lon Robertson described the signing as "another big stride" in the effort to oppose the Army's desired expansion.

"You look back over the past three years, we've started out slow and just kept building momentum," he said. "(The) bill signing, may not stop it (the expansion), but it helps propel us onto the next step, and I would think that (U.S. Reps. John Salazar and Betsy Markey) pushing for a permanent ban would be the next big leap; with the momentum that we have going, we see a lot of great opportunities for that."

Read Entire Article

Coffman calls Ritter a 'Terrorist Sympathizer'

So what are his fellow Republicans and the Democrats that voted for the bill in the Colorado House and the Senate? Terrorists?

This bill passed through a democratic process and bipartisan support shows how well it carried on both sides of the aisle.

From the 'Colorado Independent' publication today, written by Wendy Norris:

Here are the 18 GOP "co-conspirators" on HB 1317 that voted for or sponsored the Piñon Canyon bill Gov. Ritter signed.

Colorado House
House Minority Whip Cory Gardner, R-Yuma (co-sponsor)
Rep. Cindy Acree, R-Colorado Springs
Rep. Randy Baumgartner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs
Rep. Laura Bradford, R-Grand Junction
Rep. Jim Kerr, R-Littleton
Rep. Steve King, R-Grand Junction
Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs (co-sponsor)
Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson
Rep. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango
Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling (co-sponsor)
Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez (co-sponsor)
Rep. Glenn Vaad, R-Greeley

Colorado Senate
Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry
Sen. Ken Kester, R-Las Animas (co-sponsor)
Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray
Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch
Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley
Sen. Al White, R-Winter Park

More articles on signing HB1317

Pueblo Chieftain June 2, 2009

From the Trinidad Chronicle today:

Ritter signs
bill to block
Army Expansion
By DAVID SANTISTEVAN JR.
The Chronicle-News
On Tuesday Gov. Bill Ritter signed,
sealed, and delivered on his promise,
signing into law House Bill 1317, “The
Landowner and School Protection
Act”, literally banning the Army from
buying or leasing any state land from
the Colorado State Land Board any
where around the current 247,000 acre
Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS)
in Southeastern Colorado.
This bi-partisan bill will also
require the attorney general to resist
any efforts by the U.S. Army to obtain
any more land for training on these
state lands. The state owns about 20
percent of land the Army is looking to
buy or lease.
Back in 2007 members on both sides
of the isle supported House Bill 1069,
which also is an effort to keep the
Army from expanding out at PCMS,
that bill keeps the Army from taking
any land around the PCMS through
eminent domain.
“I am very happy that Gov. Ritter
signed the bill. It shows great courage
on his part to sign this bill into law
and stand behind not only the people
of Southeast Colorado but everyone in
the state of Colorado, because this was
a bi-partisan effort with a lot of support
in the senate and the house that
benefits all of Colorado,” Mack
Louden said Tuesday afternoon.
Lon Robertson stated, “We are very
pleased that Gov. Ritter has signed this
legislation into law to help eliminate a
back door approach that could have
been used to expand Pinon Canyon.
We have held expansion off by staying
together as a community but the
struggle is far from over.”
A Federal ban is pending supported
by U.S. Representatives John Salazar
and Betsy Markey, both of whom are
working together to get permanent
legislation passed to totally ban any
further attempts to expand PCMS by
the Army.
“I am pleased that the governor
signed the bill into law and I
will continue to work to stop the
Army from buying or leasing
anymore land around the
PCMS,” Congressman John
Salazar said in a statement sent
to The Chronicle-News.
Ranchers and farmers have a
lawsuit in federal court accusing
the Army of not considering the
environmental impact to the
grasslands and prairie landscape.
A federal judge next week
is scheduled to hear both sides of
the argument in a Denver courtroom.
Ritter added, “This is a safety
net for all of the farmers and
ranchers in the area. This really
does not resolve the issue, just a
step in the process.”
Rep. Sal Pace one of co-sponsors
of the bill said, “I am
pleased with the signing of the
bill, this will now make it very
hard for the Army to expand
without any state lands. This is a
positive step and puts another
road block in the way of the
Army.”
Congresswomen Betsy
Markey told The Chronicle-
News, “I’m delighted that Gov.
Ritter signed the bill. It is an
important victory in the broader
battle for private property rights
in Colorado. I intend to pursue
legislation in Congress that will
permanently block the expansion
of Pinon Canyon, and
remove this threat once and for
all.”

BCTs cancelled - why not expansion?

In accordance with President's budget Brigade Combat Teams halted
Read press release - [it obviously lessens need for expanded PCMS]

PCEOC Press Release - Governor Signs

Our press release can be read HERE.

Governor Ritter signs HB1317

Many stories and video links on today's signings:
Governor's Press Release
KOAA TV
Newschannel 13
KKTV 11
Gazette

Governor Ritter Signs HB1317!!

Governor Ritter to sign HB 1317 into law on June 2, 2009!

See Rep Sal Pace's statement from his June 1, 2009 newsletter at http://bit.ly/F9Unu

Thank you Sal, Wes, Senator Kester and everyone that voted for the bill.

And thank you Governor Ritter for supporting the majority of Coloradans that are opposed to the unnecessary expansion of Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.

Bi-partison support to stop the expansion

With the Governor recently advising he will sign HB1317, there is significant reason for celebrating - we need to reasonably cautious too though. Even with the tremendous and enduring support of a vast majority of all our legislators the Army and local Colorado Springs area legislators have increased their rhetoric expounding on the loss of the training site expansion.


The suggestions however that this is a partisan issue are completely false as efforts to oppose the expansion has been completely non-partisan as shown by the number of all legislators voting against funding. Party affiliation is not a factor in the true opposition to the expansion of PCMS. Examples of the bi-partisan backing includes former Representative Marilyn Musgrave and her position as an outstanding champion for private property rights and agriculture and the Pinon Canyon opposition; Colorado legislator support (all affiliations) for HB 1317 and previously for HB1069 in 2007; the entire rest of the state of Colorado outside of the Fort Carson area; the US Congress and the US Senate votes on spending bans against the expansion; need we say more?