Pueblo County resolution blasts proposed Fort Carson expansion

Pueblo County commissioners approved a resolution saying the Army's plan to expand a Fort Carson training site would wreck the lives of ranchers in the area.

The resolution has no legal power but commissioners are planning to send it to Colorado's Congressional delegation in the hope that they will block funding for the on Canyon expansion.

Colorado Springs civic boosters have pushed for the expansion, believing it would enhance Fort Carson's value and make it less likely the Pentagon would consider closing the base.

The Army's proposal would almost triple the size of the current Fort Carson maneuver site to about 1,000 square miles in southeast Colorado. They Army says it needs the room to train more soldiers on new weapons and tactics.

Commissioners say in the resolution that the proposed expansion would cause "untold damage" to the area and ruin the dreams of ranchers who have lived off the land for generations. Commissioners approved the resolution unanimously Tuesday.