DENVER—The Army agreed Thursday not to press ahead with its controversial expansion of a 368-square-mile training site in southeast Colorado until it discusses possible “win-win” solutions with nearby residents and political leaders.
In a letter to Colorado Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar, Army Secretary Pete Geren said the military will “go back to the drawing board” on its approach to acquiring the land.
Geren also said the Army will consider economic enhancements for local communities affected by the expansion.
The military says it needs more space to accommodate growth at Fort Carson and changing training needs, but some ranchers fear they will be forced to sell, and that the economy will suffer if so much land is taken out of production.
Residents also question the need for the expansion.
Salazar, a Democrat, and other members of Colorado’s congressional delegation have asked the Army for more details and sought assurances that property owners won’t be forced to sell their land.
“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,” Geren wrote.
The letter was in response to one by Salazar to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in June. He asked the Army to come up with a plan that would meet Fort Carson’s training needs while protecting southeastern Coloradans’ livelihood and property rights.
“I am encouraged that the Army has recognized that it needs to fundamentally rethink its plans for expansion at Pinon Canyon,” Salazar said.
Allard, a Republican, said economic opportunities and protection of property rights must be part of any proposed expansion of the maneuver site.
“There’s really not anything different than we’ve seen before,” rancher Lon Robertson said of Geren’s letter.
Robertson, who ranches and runs a general store in Kim, about 230 miles southwest of Denver, leads a group opposed to the training area expansion. He said the federal Base Closure and Realignment Commission determined that there’s ample space at Fort Carson for training.
Before the site could be enlarged, the Army would have to go through several steps, including writing an environmental impact statement and gaining congressional approval.
“We want to listen to good ideas on how to improve this process before the (environmental impact statement) even starts,” Fort Carson spokeswoman Dee McNutt said.
Pinon Canyon is near La Junta, about 150 miles southeast of Fort Carson.
The Army wants to nearly triple the size of the site, to about 1,000 square miles. Residents say nearly 200 ranches and farms could be wiped out.
The area’s distrust of the Army lingers from the 1980s when the training site was first carved out of the eastern plains. About half of the land was acquired by eminent domain.
This year, Gov. Bill Ritter signed a law aimed at preventing the Army from using eminent domain again, even though he said he’s not sure the state can stop it.
U.S. Reps. Marilyn Musgrave, a Republican, and John Salazar, a Democrat, both of Colorado, have proposed a measure to block spending on the proposed expansion. It passed the U.S. House in June. The Senate hasn’t considered the measure yet.
Army spokesman Dave Foster said the military might not have adequately made the case for its needs. He said the goal is to make sure Coloradans understand why the Army believes the expansion is necessary.
“The request for more space, more land is in order that those soldiers are trained the best we can possibly train them before we send them in harm’s way,” Foster said.
Foster said new military vehicles drive faster and weapons fire farther. More space is also needed for training with unmanned aircraft.
Sending Fort Carson soldiers out of state for training would be expensive and reduce the time they have with their families, Foster said.
Foster said the Army didn’t lightly propose expanding the Pinon Canyon site but wants to be sensitive to the public’s concerns.
“We want to be a good neighbor,” he said.
