The Army told Sen. Ken Salazar today that it will go “back to the drawing board” on its plans to roughly triple its training site in southeastern Colorado.
In a letter, Acting Secretary of the Army Pete Green said he shares Salazar’s desire for a win-win solution to expanding the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site.
The Army has said it needs to expand the site to about 654,000 acres from the current 235,368 acres to accommodate expected growth at Fort Carson and changing training needs.
Salazar, D-Colo., and other members of the Colorado congressional delegation have sought more details about the expansion and objected to the use of the power of eminent domain to force people to sell their land.
Green wrote in his letter that the Army will “listen and look to the local community for additional ideas and suggestions” to improve the process. He said the Army will also consider potential economic enhancements for communities with the goal of acquiring the land from willing sellers.
“We will not move forward with any acquisition until we have had an opportunity to discuss ideas for a win-win solution with you and the local communities,” Green wrote.
Salazar sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in June asking the Army to come up with a plan that would meet Fort Carson’s training needs while protecting southeastern Coloradans’ livelihood and property rights.
The existing training site is southwest of La Junta. At a meeting last month, Army officials said some property owners are willing to sell their land.
The land purchases would be north of the Purgatoire River, and west of the current training site.
