The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $118.7 billion 2009 Military Construction and House Appropriations bill Friday that includes a prohibition against expansion of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site.
Mack Louden, a board member of “Not 1 More Acre,” an expansion opposition group, said the vote was an “important victory” for opponents of the expansion.
“We recognize the efforts of our legislative heroes Rep. (Marilyn) Musgrave and Rep. John Salazar in working to ensure there will be no expansion and no funding at Piñon Canyon,” Louden said.
Both Musgrave, a Republican from Fort Morgan, and Salazar, a Manassa Democrat, have voiced adamant opposition to expanding the 235,000-acre site.
The Army at one time wanted to expand by about 418,000 acres. It has now reduced the amount of land it wants, saying it would like to buy 100,000 acres on the south end of the existing maneuver site from “willing sellers.”
Musgrave successfully fought to include language in the bill that prohibits the Army from using any federal money for the proposed expansion of the site.
Salazar, in a bipartisan effort, supported the ban.
Salazar noted that the language in the 2009 bill is identical to a provision in the 2008 appropriations bill.
It states that none of funds made available under the act may be used for any “action that is related to or promotes” the expansion of the boundaries or size of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site.
Joe Brettell, spokesman for Musgrave, said Friday that the vote on the appropriations bill was “overwhelming,” with 409 for and 4 against.
Kennie Gyurman, who lives next to the maneuver site and whose family lost 5,000 acres through condemnation to the military when the site was created in the early 1980s, said the Colorado congressional delegation must now work to end the expansion permanently.
“The people of southeastern Colorado have suffered for years as the Army has switched from one study to the next, one plan to the next and one map to the next,” Gyurman said.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
