U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

September 5, 2007

CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-228-3630
Cody Wertz 303-350-0032

 

 Sen. Salazar Fights for a Delay on Pinon Canyon Expansion
 Colorado Senators Offer Amendment to DoD Bill to Study Whether Expansion is Needed

WASHINGTON, DC- Today, United States Senator Ken Salazar announced that he would introduce two amendments to address the proposed expansion at the Pinon Canyon Maneuver site (PCMS). Salazar will offer one amendment to the Military Construction-Veterans’ Affairs Appropriations Act that is being considered by the Senate this week. This amendment would halt the expansion of PCMS for one year. It is identical to the Salazar-Musgrave amendment that was adopted by the House of Representatives earlier this year. The other amendment would require reports from the Army on the existing uses of PCMS and potential expansion. That amendment will be offered as part of the Defense Authorization and Appropriations bills.

“I fully believe that we owe our men and women in uniform the best training opportunities possible to keep our Nation strong. I have always and will always fight to ensure that Fort Carson remains a premier training facility for the Army.

“I also have met several times with the farmers, ranchers and communities in Southeastern Colorado who would be most affected by the proposed Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site expansion. In my view, the Army has not yet provided a sufficient justification for its expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site; nor has the Army created a plan that protects private property rights and the agricultural heritage of the area.

“I believe that this one year delay, coupled with a requirement that the Army justify their proposal is the right thing to do.”

Senators Salazar and Allard will also offer a second amendment to the Defense Authorization or Appropriations bills later this month. This amendment requires the Army to provide a report on the following matters:

  • Is there a need for expansion, given the 2005 BRAC Commission finding that Fort Carson has sufficient training land to support its needs?
  • Is the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site being used to capacity? · How can the Army better use the existing land at PCMS to meet its training needs?
  • If the Army needs additional land to train Fort Carson units, can it use other federal lands or land at other installations?
  • If the Army added land to PCMS, what training capacity would be added to Fort Carson?
  • If the Army were to expand PCMS, what economic benefits would it provide to local communities and how could the ranching heritage of Southeastern Colorado be preserved?

The amendment requires the Army to provide the justification and requires it to solicit public input on its report. In addition, the amendment would require that the General Accounting Office (GAO) review the Army’s report and justification for expansion.

“In addition to my request that the Army explore more flexible acquisition methods such as reverse mortgages and lease-to-own options on lifetime estates, Senator Salazar and I agree that that the Army simply needs to do a better job of spelling out their justifications for expanding Pinon Canyon,” said Senator Allard. “I am exploring additional legislative options to protect the rights of private property owners in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2008 Department of Defense authorization bill,” said Allard. “The Army owes the residents of southeastern Colorado a full explanation of their work on this issue and I will continue to remind them of their pledge to be ‘good neighbors’ as we move forward.”

“The people of our Nation, the State of Colorado and the residents of Southeastern Colorado deserve answers from the Army on the fundamental questions of training need and capacity before any decision is made to acquire additional land beyond the 235,000 acres already owned by the Army at PCMS. This amendment requires the Army to provide that information,” said Senator Salazar. “I will also continue to work closely with Senator Allard to ensure that the Army will not take private property from landowners for the purpose of expanding the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.”

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