DENVER—Rep. Mark Udall on Monday asked congressional investigators to review the Army’s plans to nearly triple the size of its Pinon Canyon maneuver site in southeastern Colorado, saying landowners in the area deserve a better explanation for the reasons for the expansion.
“Before the Army moves ahead much further, we need an objective review of the study the Army used to justify its proposal,” Udall, a Democrat, said in a written release.
“Whether the Army needs to expand in this area is too important a question to leave to the Army alone,” he said.
The Army wants to nearly triple the size of the site, from 368 square miles to more than 1,000 square miles. Commanders have said the expansion is needed to accommodate planned growth at Fort Carson, 150 miles northwest of Pinon Canyon in Colorado Springs, and new training needs.
Opponents, including some ranchers, worry the Army will use eminent domain to force landowners to sell, although the military has said it will try to buy the land it wants from willing sellers.
Opponents also say that removing that much land from agricultural use, even by voluntary sales, would hurt the region’s economy.
Udall wrote the General Accountability Office, the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, requesting a review. The letter was also signed by Reps. Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas, and Jo Ann Davis, R-Va.
Pinon Canyon is not within Udall’s district, but he is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, as are Ortiz and Davis.
Udall has announced plans to run for the U.S. Senate next year.
The letter asks the GAO to study the amount of land the Army says it needs to determine whether it best addresses the training needs, and to review what other alternatives have been or should be reviewed.
“We believe it is important to ensure that any expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site be in the public interest,” the letter said. “That means looking at our real national security and readiness needs, but also respecting and protecting the interests of Colorado’s citizens.”
