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Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site Expansion

By: Kimmi Lewis, CICA Secretary

On February 14, 2007, the United States Dept. of the Army formally announced their plans to expand the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site training area, located 140 miles southeast of the Fort Carson base, Colorado Springs, CO. The maneuver site was originally put together by the United States Dept. of Defense in 1983 using condemnation and land purchases. At that time, the Dept. of Army officials stated they would never increase the size of Pinon Canyon nor use live rounds. In the past two years they have changed their minds and are using live artillery to train with, plus they have big plans of expansion.

Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site consists of 235,000 acres of short grass prairie habitat and deep canyonland, which are part of the Purgatoire Canyonlands as well as the Purgatoire River. The original site was over 285,000 acres. Nine years after the acquisition, the Army gifted 40,000 acres to the United States Forest Service as this parcel had the largest set of dinosaur tracks in the world.

The expansion that the Army is hoping for takes in ranch and farmland from the acreage of 415,000 more acres up to 5 million. One of the “planning maps” in which Fort Carson proposed dated in 1997 showed the whole southeast corner of Colorado being part of the maneuver site, which would have been an additional 2.5 million acres. A new map (pictured above) was just released by the Dept. of Army and it consists of 415,000 acres of private property that expands west towards Walsenburg (including the Apishipa River) and south. The Dept. of Defense is wanting to make Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site the largest training site in the United States.

The Dept. of Defense has control of 25 million acres in which to train and house soldiers. Right now the Dept. of Defense Military Construction Bill is setting in the Senate, waiting for approval and funding for this large acquisition of private property. Congresswoman Musgrave and Congressman John Salazar, both from Colorado, attached an amendment to the bill preventing the government from spending any money on Pinon Canyon. This initiative passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives. Now, we are waiting to see what the Senate will do with it and if the amendment will stay attached.

On December 14, 2000 the Dept. of the Army and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a memorandum of understanding with The Nature Conservancy. This MOU has led the Army into the Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) program, which is a program that leads private property owners into a contract to relinquish control on their land. These ACUB’s are nationwide with 8 other installations currently enrolled and more on the list. ACUB’s are legally binding agreements between Army installations and another party (nongovernmental, state or local government) that enables the other party to acquire land or interest in land from a willing private landowner in the vicinity of Army training areas.

This agreement or conservation easement will be held by this NGO and not by the Army. The Army will help fund the conservation easement, but not hold the contract. The Nature Conservancy and their partners which are other, smaller land trusts, which exist within these training site areas are waiting for this opportunity to get control of private land.

On November 8, 2006 the Dept. of the Army signed a Conservation Partnership Agreement with the United States Dept. of Agriculture at Fort Riley, KS. This cooperative agreement will be one of the biggest factors in the whole conservation scenario around military bases. Sen. Allard and Rep. Hefley of Colorado gave $7 Million to The Nature Conservancy to hold the ACUB south of Fort Carson in Colorado and Sen. Allard has already secured millions of tax dollars for more buffer zone easements throughout the United States. Sen. Allard’s Fort Carson Conservation Act of 2005 vaguely blocks condemnation but puts TNC in charge of buffer zones ensuring the survival of critical habitats.

The Endangered Species Act also has a part in this ACUB process. There are studies being done right now in Southeast Colorado, which were funded by GOCO (lottery funds) and The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association Ag Land Trust that will lead the area into the grips of The Endangered Species Act. Now, instead of just worrying the Army is going to take these farmers and rancher’s land, the ESA is the biggest threat of all. The Endangered Species Act does exactly as it was set out to do and that is to take private property owners off the land.

Most of the ranches and farms in the area are fourth and fifth generation families. The fight isn’t just against the Army to save the land, its also against their biggest partner, TNC as the sad reality is the ranches and farms could be taken to “preserve” them for future generations. In 1983, the Army took the land in the area and if they are allowed to do it again, they will “gift” some of it away and the rest of the area they want in control will be through the use of ACUB’s. The Army will use the conservation concept with the help of land trusts and nongovernmental organizations as a preservation tool to get control of Southeast Colorado.

We need to thank our two Colorado representatives Musgrave and Salazar for standing up for all of us in agriculture. Please contact senators Salazar and Allard and tell them to keep Musgrave’s amendment attached to the bill. Let them know that we will proudly provide our U.S. soldiers with USA Beef.

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Opposition to Pinon Valley Expansion Videos

Video 1: A Branding at Muddy Valley Ranch, with ranch owner Kimmi Lewis sharing her thoughts on the Pinon Valley Expansion. Video 2: Landowner Ted Lee gives his opinion of Pinon Valley Expansion

Latest News:

• Attend the Good Neighbor Convention, Sept. 22, 2007: The Good Neighbor Convention is for anyone concerned about the erosion of private property rights, the continuing absorption of state and local Constitutional authorities by the Federal government, or the growth of power and influence by non-governmental organizations.



• September 4, 2007 Press Release: Jim Beers, a wildlife biologist that retired from the US Fish & Wildlife Service will speak at the Good Neighbor Forum in La Junta on Saturday, September 22nd.  Jim is a writer, speaker, and consultant to communities being harmed by growing government powers all over the country.
  
  
• No Premises Registration Poster: Help us spread the word! Print and post it on stalls at the fair or anywhere.



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• July 23, 2007 Press Release: The Coalition Wants Mandatory 4-H Premises Registrations Halted Until Cost-Benefit Study is Completed.

 

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Archives:

• June 29, 2007 Press Release: Coalition Disputes Credibility of CSU Cooperative Extension's Survey on Mandatory 4-H Premises Registration. read complete discussion here


• June 13, 2007 Press Release: State-Wide Coalition Urges CSU’s Cooperative Extension To Return To Its Mission of Education and Outreach.


• June 5, 2007: Responses to Colorado State University Bullet Points on La Plata County Board of Commissioners Resolution 2007-27 Opposing Mandatory 4-H and FFA Premises Registration.
  

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