DENVER—Some state lawmakers are trying again to block the Army’s plans to expand a southeast Colorado training site.
A bill introduced Tuesday would bar the Army from selling or leasing property owned by the state land board. Democratic Rep. Sal Pace of Pueblo estimates that about 20 percent of the land the Army wants to expand the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site is owned by the land board.
He says the properties have been owned by Colorado since statehood and raise money through mineral and grazing leases.
The Army says it needs more room to accommodate new weapons, new tactics and additional soldiers.
Many ranchers near Pinon Canyon oppose the move. In 2007, lawmakers passed a bill barring the Army from using eminent domain to expand the site.
