Piñon Canyon, threatened by a planned Army expansion, has been declared one of the nation’s most endangered places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Jim Lindberg, director of preservation initiatives in the Mountains/Plains office, said the area contains an irreplaceable heritage.
“It’s just a whole range of layers of settlement that give the area its rich history,” he said.
The area, which surrounds Colorado’s Piñon Canyon Army Maneuver Site, received attention when the Army proposed obtaining more than 400,000 acres for needed training.
Community members have expressed strong opposition to the expansion, citing the area’s historical significance and economic impact.
Along with dinosaur tracks and wagon imprints from the Santa Fe Trail, Lindberg said the area contains evidence from early settlers and ranches from the late 19th through 20th centuries.
Adding the area to the 2007 Most Endangered Historic Places list, Lindberg said, is an attempt to call attention to the historical significance that makes it a bad place for expansion.
“We would hope that there would be alternative sites for expansion that wouldn’t damage an area rich with history,” he said.
Piñon Canyon was nominated to a similar state list by Colorado Preservation Inc. early this year.
Ten other sites made the 2007 national list, including Brooklyn’s Industrial Waterfront in New York, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail in New Mexico, and historic Route 66 motels from Illinois to California.
Staff writer Simona Gallegos can be reached at 303-954-1555 or sgallegos@denverpost.com.
