The U.S. Army has earmarked $100 million “over the next few years” to expand its weapons ranges at Fort Carson and the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeastern Colorado, according to Army documents.
“Major routes that were open to traffic might have to be closed to nonessential traffic,” according to Fort Carson’s management-review minutes, dated Dec. 12. U.S. 350 and U.S. 160 cut directly through the proposed 1-million-acre expansion area, which the Army refers to as “areas of interest.”
In the past month, the Army has met with residents and representatives of cattlemen’s and conservation groups to explain its interest in expanding its 235,000-acre Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site by roughly 1 million acres. Fort Carson announced this year that it expects to grow from roughly 14,000 troops to 24,000-26,000.
Planners at Fort Carson, including Tom Warren, director of environmental compliance and management, and Michael Heredia, chief of the strategic- initiatives group, say that “the lethality of weapons” has changed, as have training routines.
Opposition to the expansion has come from several fronts.
“The history of the Great Plains is one of terrible violence,” said Jarid Manos, executive director of the Great Plains Restoration Council in Denver. “Instead of a million-acre bombing range, people (now) are working for a million-acre buffalo range, complete with healthy populations of wildlife and healthy human communities.”
Based on the many concerns, along with the lack of solid information, U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., will hold an informational meeting Saturday in Pueblo for representatives of the Army, the Department of Defense and landowners. The meeting begins at 9 a.m., at the public library at 100 E. Abriendo Ave., and is open to the public.
U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., this week submitted legislation prohibiting the Defense Department from using condemnation and eminent domain strategies to expand Piñon Canyon.
“Increasing the size of the training site is going to go forward only if landowners in the area are willing to sell to the Army at fair-market prices,” Allard said.
Staff writer Mike McPhee can be reached at 303-820-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com.
