Gov. Ritter signs bill to block Army expansion at Piñon Canyon
Gov. Bill Ritter signed a bill Tuesday
that's intended to hinder the Army's quest for land to expand a Fort Carson training
area.
Under the new law, the state is forbidden
to sell or lease state lands to expand the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, northeast
of Trinidad. Areas surrounding the training
area are dotted with state lands, and the sponsors of HB1317 hope it will make
expansion less attractive to the Army.
The bill was supported by private
landowners in the area, who don't want to sell to the Army or be forced off in
eminent domain proceedings, as happened when the training area was first
established in the 1970s. They dismiss Army promises to work only with willing
sellers and avoid eminent domain condemnations.
Opponents of the bill say it will devalue
Fort Carson, with long-term consequences for the Pikes Peak region's economy.
"The Army's work in Southern Colorado is
vital to our national security interests and to Colorado's economic security interests,"
Ritter said in a news release. "At the same time, private property owners,
farmers and ranchers are equally vital to Colorado's future."
