DENVER-
The House on Monday approved and sent to the Senate a bill that tells the Army that it can’t force landowners to sell land to triple the size of its Pinon Canyon training site.
Lawmakers acknowledged their measure (House Bill 1069) lacks the power to stop the Army from using eminent domain if it moves ahead with the expansion. The bill passed on a 56-9 vote.
Ranchers from southeastern Colorado praised the vote, saying the Army hasn’t proven why it needs more land. They say the measure sends a strong message to Washington that Colorado is concerned about the expansion—a message that could make it harder for the Army to win approval.
Fort Carson uses the site to train its soldiers and last month got permission to go ahead with an in-depth environmental study of the proposed expansion. Ranchers worry the Army will use eminent domain to force them to sell their land, shutting down ranches that have been in families for generations and hurting area’s agriculture-based economy.
Colorado law gives consent to the federal government to condemn land for certain purposes, such as building post offices or courthouses. The bill from Democratic Rep. Wes McKinley, a rancher from Walsh, would withdraw that consent when it comes to Pinon Canyon.
