May 15, 2009 09:50 PM UTC

Rep. Salazar: Army Still Wants To Expand Pinon Canyon

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• by: Colorado Pols

As the Pueblo Chieftain reports:

The Army’s decision to spend more money expanding a Louisiana post doesn’t signal a change in its goal of expanding the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., said Thursday.

The move probably reflects the service’s weakening position in Colorado for that expansion, the congressman said.

Responding to a Denver newspaper’s report that the Army was retreating on its expansion goal by re-allocating military construction money to Fort Polk, La., next year, Salazar said his recent conversation with Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey only confirmed that expanding Pinon Canyon remains an Army priority.

“General Casey urged me to keep an open mind on the expansion, but I told him it wasn’t going to happen while I’m (in Congress),” Salazar said in a phone interview Thursday. “I don’t think anything has changed from the Army’s perspective except they are reading the writing on the wall that Southeastern Colorado is opposed to this.”

Salazar, whose 3rd Congressional District includes the 238,000-acre Pinon Canyon training range, said he has already spoken with House Armed Services Committee staff about putting an outright ban on any future expansion in the coming defense authorization legislation…

Rep. Salazar also urged Governor Bill Ritter to sign House Bill 1317, the anti-expansion bill supported by presumed gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry and controversially opposed by his impending primary opponent Scott McInnis. And after watching what most consider to be the leading GOP contender to be Colorado’s next governor, McInnis, essentially tell the ranchers down there to start packing if he gets elected, we’d say Salazar is dead-on with his warning.