Thursday, February 17, 2011

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

Army Still Seeks Expansion of the
Piñon 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 Piñon 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

.

Share |
Powered By Blogger

Our youth is our future

Our youth is our future
Regionwide support