Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition presents to Colorado College

PCEOC Press Release

For immediate release

Contact:          
Doug Holdread- doug@holdread.com 719-680-3933
Lon Robertson- lonr@ghvalley.net 719-980-5114

KIM, Colorado (November 1, 2011)- On Thursday, November 3rd, the Colorado College Non-violence Club will host a presentation entitled, "Working Together" by the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition.  The presentation will focus upon how the Pinon Canyon issue has defied traditional political classifications and employed unusual tactics, bringing together a coalition of ranchers, artists, environmentalists, preservationists and peace activists.   

According to PCEOC board member, Grady Grissom, "The issue touches on the environment, property rights, big government, the military-industrial complex, cultural heritage, and economic development.  It's an ongoing course in civics and political science."

Presenters will include Grissom, an environmentally conscious rancher, Steve Wooten, another rancher who has worked closely with biologists to document the bio-diversity of the region, Rebecca Goodwin, a preservationist who has worked to identify and protect cultural resources at Pinon Canyon, and Doug Holdread, an artist and educator who has mobilized artists to join the cause.  

The presenters will focus upon how the coalition has successfully brought together diverse sectors of the local community in taking on a deeply entrenched federal bureaucracy. They will present an overview of their successes over the past five years and discuss issues which remain unresolved. These include the Department of Defense waiver which authorizes expansion and remains in effect, as well as ongoing concerns about military expansions such as Fort Carson's Combat Aviation Brigade, CAB, and Canon Air Force Base's Special Operations Low Altitude Tactical Aviation, LATN proposal.   

The presentation will take place in the WAS Room in the Worner Center on the Colorado College Campus at 4:30 on Thursday.  

The Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition is a broad-based coalition representing communities across Southern Colorado in their opposition to the proposed military expansion. PCEOC members include business owners, teachers, students, elected officials, ranchers, environmentalists and many others.   

The coalition is united in its opposition to any expansion of PCMS.  No funding, no expansion.   
For more information, please see www.pinoncanyon.com.

# # #

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Wayne Laugesen, Colorado Springs Gazette editorial page editor, displays hypocrisy

In the 3/29/2011 on-line edition of the Colorado Springs Gazette, Wayne Laugesen, editorial page editor, displays an incredible blind spot. The editorial in question involves the closure of the Fort Lyon Correctional Facility near Las Animas.  Read the article: http://www.gazette.com/articles/right-115384-view-closing.html

Obviously, reasonable arguments can be made for, or against, closing prisons. What is amazing is the blind spot and hypocrisy on display by Wayne Laugesen. The exact same arguments he makes can be applied to the military installations in Colorado Springs. The following statement of Wayne's illustrates this.

“We will never do away with the need for prisons, but let’s be careful to never confuse a prison as something other than a cost. Prisons bring jobs and wealth to localities that host them, but the money is taken from other regions. This is necessary, but should not be confused as economic gain."

Another notable quote in the article is from State Representative Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs:
“The reality is that we just have too much government,” said Gardner, as quoted in the Bent County Democrat. “Sometimes the most efficient thing is to shut something down, even if people will be impacted in the short term. The role of prison is not one of an economic development tool for a community.”

The truth is, both correctional facilities and military installations are vital; but they are also an overhead cost on society, transferring capital from other uses. Pro-expansion forces see the expansion of the PCMS as economic insurance for Colorado Springs, or as an economic development tool.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Wahoo! Tipton gets Pinon Canyon funding ban reinstated - From the Pueblo Chieftain.....

Tipton gets Pinon Canyon funding ban reinstated

By PETER ROPER | proper@chieftain.com | Posted: Monday, May 23, 2011 6:19 pm
   Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Colo., has convinced the  chairman of a crucial House appropriations subcommittee to restore the annual funding ban that has blocked the Army from spending any money to expand the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site for the past four years.
   Rep. John Culverson, R-Texas, is expected to restore the funding ban to the 2012 military construction budget when it is considered by the full House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. Culverson chairs the military construction subcommittee and his backing of the Pinon Canyon moratorium almost certainly guarantees the ban will remain in place.
   For Tipton, the new GOP congressman in the 3rd Congressional District, the funding ban has been a critical issue because it has been the centerpiece of the opposition to the Army's controversial efforts to expand the 235,000-acre training site northeast of Trinidad.
   Tipton inherited the ban from former Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., and ranchers opposed to the Army's efforts were gravely concerned last week when they learned that the military construction subcommittee had not retained it in the 2012 military construction budget they drafted a week ago. The ban has been in place since 2008.
  Tipton was under close scrutiny by those ranchers because he'd promised to defend the funding ban until some kind of long-term agreement could be reached between the Army and the ranching community over Pinon Canyon.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Congressman Titpton to hold Town Hall on Pinon Canyon tomorrow night

From his office: "Rep. Scott Tipton to Hold Town Hall Meeting on April 26th in Trinidad; Following a tour of Pinon Canyon (and Fort Carson) during the day, Rep. Scott Tipton will host a town hall meeting to TO DISCUSS PINON CANYON and other important issues, and take questions from constituents.
When: Tuesday, April 26th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sullivan Student Center, TSJC
Please attend......... we're not sure what exactly is being pushed so of course our eyebrows are raised.........
So we haven't received word from Mr. Tipton on the exact nature of this visit - 
We do know he's talking to three individual commissioners from three local counties while at the site,and wanting them to also visit Fort Carson and then fly down to the maneuver site.  (we have no qualms about the commissioners meeting with them - and trust those commissioners will stand fast with no expansion positions).
We do know when a staffer was asked if he wanted to speak to the landowners around the current site as part of his 'tour' his staffer advised that 'if they want to talk to Tipton they can come to the Town Hall meeting.'
So yes, we're a bit on edge - will you attend with us?

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Army not providing all the facts? Doug Holdread Blog

Let me try to say this delicately; the Army is not providing all of the facts when they say, "The waiver does not authorize land acquisition-it simply allows the Army to continue studying the requirements and plan accordingly." There is a document that Fort Carson and other bases produce for this purpose. It's called a "Land Use Requirement Study," (LURS). The waiver goes beyond studying and planning. It is a permit. The very first sentence of the waiver approval states it pretty clearly, "the Army is requesting an exception to the subject moratorium in order to acquire approximately 418,000 acres of land, estimated to be valued at 108.8M." If it has no intention of expanding Pinon Canyon, why won't the Army cancel the waiver? After all, they claim it doesn't really mean anything. So why won't they grant us this additional reassurance? All it would take is a simple memo from Secretary of the Army McHugh stating that, "the waiver, granted by my office on February 7, 2007 is hereby by declared null and void." It's pretty obvious that want to keep the waiver in place because it an important weapon in their acquisition arsenal. Right now the safety is on,(year-to-year spending ban) and there's no bullet in the chamber,(Congressional funding), but they've got the gun, aimed and ready. Telling us that there is nothing (currently) in the budget for acquisition is cold comfort. We've seen how military budgets can turn on dime. And what about their "black budget;" all of the billions that nobody is allowed to monitor? What about the fact that a couple of years ago, then Army Undersecretary Keith Eastin said, "we believe we already have adequate money appropriated for that purpose in our current land acquisition budget?" (Pueblo Chieftain, July 18, 2008)

PCEOC Position Unchanged regardless of Army letter - NPR Story on same

PCEOC Release in response to letter of 5 yrs without money promise

NPR Story April 6, 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

AP story says 'Army not sure if a procedure exists to withdraw the waiver'

From an AP story today (by Dan Elliott)  READ STORE HERE

"On Wednesday, the Army said the budget is a more important signal of its intentions than the waiver...
The waiver does not authorize land acquisition — it simply allows the Army to continue studying the requirements and plan accordingly," the Army's said. "Only Congress can authorize land acquisition funding."
That statement that only Congress can authorize acquisition funding is meant to mislead the public. In the same breath they state that the waiver allows them to study expansion.  In other words "we haven't asked for acquisition funding but we will continue to spend money to research and promote expansion until we get acquisition funding in the future"
In the Army's words on the waiver request in 2007:
"The Army is requesting an exception to the subject moratorium in order to acquire approximately 418,000 acres of land, estimated to be valued at $108.8M, in and around PCMS, a sub-installation of Fort Carson, CO."
AND
“approve the request and require the Army to report periodically to the DUSD (I&E) on the status of consultations with local landowners and on the continued assessment of specific lands necessary to support the training requirement.”
 
It says nothing about 'budget' in that letter giving approval for a waiver of the moratorium - This waiver ALLOWS THE ARMY TO PROCEED WITH EVERY OTHER EXPANSION PROCESS EXCEPT TRADING TITLE.  IT ALLOWS THE SHADOW OF EXPANSION TO LOOM INDEFINITELY. 

REFUSING TO REMOVE THE WAIVER IT TANTAMOUNT TO THUMBING THEIR NOSES AT OUR CONGRESS.
 
So to say they 'aren't going to expand' is difficult to believe as long as that 'internal process and go ahead' exists. "They're not sure if a procedure exists to withdraw it" - give me a break. If it was something they thought would benefit them they would devise a procedure. 


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Handout from last night and for tonight's public comment meetings.....

Army Still Seeks Expansion of the
PiƱon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS)
____________________________________________________
In 2007 the Department of Defense (DOD) gave the Army permission in the form of a special waiver to expand PCMS. Because that waiver is still in effect, the only thing keeping the Army from acquiring more land at PCMS is the continuation of the year to year funding ban enacted by Congress.
____________________________________________________
Two Critical Priorities to assure Continued Blocking of
the Expansion of PCMS:

1.     Our legislators maintain the annual funding ban that prevents the Army from spending any  money related to PCMS expansion
2.     Our legislators push the DOD to remove the waiver or declare it null and void
______________________________________________________________

What is “The Waiver”?
(see HERE for document requesting the waiver and HERE for approval document)
In the late 1980’s the Department of Defense (DOD) approved a policy that banned any DOD agency (such as the Army) from buying large amounts of land.
However, in 2006 the Army requested an exception to this policy (a waiver), specifically to purchase more land to expand the PiƱon Canyon Maneuver Site, stating that the proposed expansion area was a good opportunity because it was “relatively inexpensive and sparsely populated”.
This waiver was granted by the DOD in 2007, giving the Army the green light to pursue expansion.  The waiver is still in effect even now.
After a congressionally ordered investigation, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) determined that many omissions were evident in the waiver request. According to the Army’s own procedures, local public approval should have been given prior to any DOD approval of the waiver—this public approval was never sought or approved.
_______________________________________________________________

What You Can do to Help
Please contact your local, state, and federal legislators. Let them know that we MUST CONTINUE THE FUNDING BAN AND TO ASK THE DOD TO REMOVE THE WAIVER.
________________________________________________________________

For more information on the waiver, the funding ban, and for legislative contacts please look for other handouts, call us at (719) 643-5600 or visit our website at www.pinoncanyon.com

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Army Blitzes SE Colorado

We haven't asked in a while but this week WE NEED YOU!

If you could possibly sacrifice a few hours this week to be at some or all of these meetings it will speak volumes to our elected officials.

PLEASE ALSO CALL YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, NEIGHBORS - ASK THEM TO DO THE SAME.......... ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE BY BEING THERE IS VITAL TO OUR BEING HEARD.


The Army seems to be blitzing us this next week, in an effort to

1. gain documentable public/political support they can use against us and

2. sidestep laws and Federal Court orders


Your presence is needed at multiple meetings:
   
First, Tuesday night, the 15th of February.  The Trinidad City Council will be meeting at 7pm in Trinidad City Hall.  
Purpose: Discussion and action relative to enacting a resolution in place of the Army requested 'Covenant'.  We are told the Army will have a presence there as well and we need to show support of the City Council for standing their ground by our being there.

Second, Wednesday night, the 16th of February in La Junta, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Student Center at Otero Jr College.  The Army will be holding public comment meetings on the Environmental Assessment they are issuing - designed to replace/avoid the court vacated Environmental Impact Statement.  We need as many people as possible to attend and show our elected officials how decidedly opposed we are on expanding PCMS.

Third, Thursday night, the 17th of February in Trinidad, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Sullivan Center at Trinidad State Jr College.  The Army will be holding public comment meetings on the Environmental Assessment they are issuing - designed to replace/avoid the court vacated Environmental Impact Statement.  We need as many people as possible to attend and show our elected officials how decidedly opposed we are of expanding PCMS.

Be sure to start calling your representatives and letting them know 'enough is enough'.  Stop this expansion nonsense now!

Need legislator contact information?  Goto the PCEOC website legislator page.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Critically important to start letter writing campaign to Congressman Scott Tipton

It's time once again to get out the pens and paper and send letters, emails, faxes, call and get your friends to do the same, as well as your friends' friends. 

Representative Scott Tipton may not believe that so many are against expansion - he will be meeting soon with the Army commanders and we need to let him know we trust he will protect us and keep the ban in place. The more letters, calls and emails he gets the better obviously!

Please write, call his offices, send a fax, leave a message that you are against expansion and ask Congressman Tipton to keep the spending ban in place.

His contact information is:

Pueblo Office
503 N. Main Street, Suite 658
Pueblo, CO 81003
...Phone: 719.542.1073
Fax: 719.542.1127

Washington, DC
Phone: 202.225.4761
Fax: 202.226.9669

Alamosa Office
609 Main St., #105 Box 11
Alamosa, CO 81101
Phone: 719.587.5105
Fax: 719.587.5137

Grand Junction Office
225 North 5th St., Suite 702
Grand Junction, CO 81501
Phone: 970.241.2499
Fax: 970.241.3053

.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Pueblo Chieftain understands completely what must happen.....

PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN EDITORIAL
Posted: Friday, January 28, 2011 12:00 am
THE ACTING senior commander at Fort Carson says there are no current plans and no money to expand Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site — but only for the next few years.
   Brig. Gen. James Doty made the statement during a meeting with The Chieftain’s editorial board this week. And, at the moment, the money for expansion doesn’t appear to be in the Pentagon’s budget.
   On Thursday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Congress, by holding the Pentagon to last year’s spending level, would create a $23 billion gap in his department’s needs. In other words, there would be no money for things such as land acquisition.
   In light of that, the Pentagon should order Fort Carson not to spend any money on land acquisition, and it should do so now. As it is, the fort has been granted Defense Department authority in the form of a waiver to pursue expansion. That waiver must be countermanded now.
   However, the Army is prohibited from spending money on acquisition by virtue of an amendment to the Pentagon’s spending authorization legislation. That prohibition first was sponsored by Reps. Marilyn Musgrave and John Salazar and subsequently renewed by the same amendment sponsored by Reps. Salazar and Betsy Markey.
   Now the area is represented by Reps. Scott Tipton and Cory Gardner, whom we earnestly urge to continue the ban in the new budget cycle. The Army has never made a persuasive case that it needs more area at Pinon Canyon. Even though it now appears a change in Army training doctrine will make the alleged need temporarily moot, we must never stop fighting any expansion plan.
   Under that new doctrine, only relatively small units would train at any given time, meaning any need for even more than the 238,000 acres at Pinon Canyon has disappeared. But vigilance is needed, because new officers in charge of Pentagon planning could change doctrine again, and Pinon Canyon could be in the sights of a new regime.
   Nonetheless, the Pentagon should rescind the waiver so that it’s clear that Fort Carson has no authority whatsoever to purchase land around the Pinon Canyon site. Once a bureaucracy — even the Army’s — gets a project under way, that effort gains a life of its own unless it is stopped dead in its tracks.
   What’s deeply troubling is that the uncertainty faced by neighboring ranchers makes it difficult for them to make rational decisions about financing improvements on their spreads. And the cattle industry is huge in Southeastern Colorado.
   La Junta cattle sales are second in volume only to those in Oklahoma City. Ranching and farming provide the lifeblood of the Lower Arkansas Valley’s economy and directly benefits Pueblo’s economy. Just as the valley needs to protect its water for farming, it needs to protect the ranching interests, some of which go back three or four generations.
   The Army has no need to expand the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. It should halt any and all efforts toward that end — now.
.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Commissioners ask for more oversight and truth in care of Historic Sites at PCMS

Saving history

The Pueblo County commissioners have asked a federal agency to intervene and oppose the Army’s training operations at the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.

The request came in a letter to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The council provides the means for citizens to help safeguard historic sites by filing request for agency involvement. The agency can require federal departments to report how they are protecting historic artifacts under their supervision.

While Fort Carson long has maintained it has worked to protect sensitive sites at the training area, officials there acknowledged that some damage occurred during a brigade training session there last summer. The training area has a number of sites relating to Indian activities and encampments.

The county commissioners made their request after hearing a presentation from Not 1 More Acre!, a coalition of ranchers and other opponents of the Army’s attempt to expand the training area. The commissioners realize that the economic health of the Arkansas Valley’s farming and ranching industry is vital for Pueblo’s own economic vitality.

All who care about this region’s rich cultural history should thank the commissioners for their involvement
The Pueblo Chieftain Editorial 12/26/2010
Share |
Powered By Blogger

Our youth is our future

Our youth is our future
Regionwide support