WASHINGTON — Despite a congressional limitation, the Army is moving forward with a planned expansion of its Piñon Canyon training site and Thursday refused to reject condemnation as a tool for acquiring land, congressional aides said.
The Army wants to buy 100,000 acres just south of the current maneuver site with money it will seek from Congress through 2012, it said in a report delivered Thursday to the two senators from Colorado.
Lawmakers in Colorado’s congressional delegation who thought they had blocked the Army’s expansion plan said Thursday they were studying their options.
“It’s certainly questionable whether they are evading the intent of Congress,” said Eric Wortman, spokesman for Rep. John Salazar, a Manassa Democrat. “The intent was that Congress did not want them to proceed this year.”
A spending bill for military construction passed last year includes language that bans the Army from spending money on expanding the training site. Salazar, his brother Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave of Fort Morgan teamed up on that legislation. They are attempting to extend it through fiscal year 2009.
In a story published Thursday by The Pueblo Chieftain, Army Assistant Secretary Keith Eastin said the moratorium does not limit the Army from outreach or negotiating with potential sellers.
“The U.S. Army believes there are willing sellers out there,” said Army spokesman Dave Foster. “We would like the opportunity to find out but have not started negotiations with anyone.”
The Army had proposed expanding the site by about 418,000 acres, but on Wednesday announced a scaled-back plan. The Army report says that it still needs the larger acreage.
In addition to military construction money, the Army receives funding in a Department of Defense spending bill. It can use that for some Piñon Canyon-related activities, said Steve Wymer, spokesman for Sen. Wayne Allard, a Loveland Republican who is on the Appropriations Committee.
Saying she wanted “to ensure that the intent of the United States Congress is not violated,” Musgrave sent a letter Thursday to Army Secretary Pete Geren requesting “a clear and full accounting of any funds allocated towards the intention of purchasing said land.” She asked for a response by July 31.
“The Army needs to respect the moratorium that is currently in place,” Sen. Salazar said in a statement. “They can’t acquire land or condemn land without congressional approval and funding. Neither exists.”
The Army in its report said money for land purchases would need congressional approval.
An Army official who delivered the Army’s report to Rep. Salazar would not eliminate condemnation as an option if the approval was received to buy property, Wortman said.
Foster, however, said “the Army has no desire to assert its condemnation authority, does not feel such authority is needed in this case, and seeks only the ability to buy on the open real estate market.” He said there are only four landowners in the targeted acres.
Allard opposes the Army using condemnation in the region but supports its ability to buy land through negotiation. He has fought to remove the moratorium Salazar placed in the Senate.
Anne C. Mulkern: 202-662-8907 or amulkern@denverpost.com
