PCEOC position reaffirmed by
Governor's signing Landowner and School Protection Act
Representatives
Sal Pace D-Pueblo, Wes McKinley D-Walsh, and Senator Ken Kester, R-Las Animas championed the bi-partisan effort
in the form of this bill to help stop expansion.
For immediate
release
Contact: Lon Robertson 719-980-5114
Steve
Wooten 719-384-5813
KIM, Colorado (June 2, 2009)-
Today,
Governor Ritter signed HB 1317 into law. Present at the Capital, and
witnessing his signature, were the bill sponsors and members of the PCEOC.
This bill bars the sale or leasing of any state land overseen by the Colorado
State Land Board to the Army for expansion of their Pinon
Canyon training site in Southern Colorado.
The Governor
has previously signed legislation to afford some protection from the unimpeded
use of eminent domain for an expansion of PCMS, in the form of a 2007 bill
sponsored by Representative McKinley. Governor Ritter has said that this
latest bill "will provide a safety net for farmers and ranchers that they won't
be a part of the expansion." He also understands that while this "may not
be the last discussion on Pinon
Canyon" it is an
important step in stopping an expansion that the Army hasn't proven is needed.
"We are
very pleased that Governor Ritter has signed this legislation into law to help
eliminate a back door approach that could have been used to expand Pinon Canyon,"
said Lon Robertson, head of the
Pinon Canyon Coalition. "We have held the expansion off by staying
together as a community but the struggle is far from over," added
Robertson.
While
there is significant reason for celebration, expansion opponents remain
cautious. Even with the tremendous and enduring support from most of our
elected officials, the Army and Colorado
Springs area legislators have increased their
rhetoric, bemoaning a potential failure to expand PCMS. The suggestion
that this is a partisan issue is completely false. Party affiliation is
not a factor in the opposition to expand PCMS. An example of the
bi-partisan opposition to the expansion is former U.S. Representative Marilyn
Musgrave, and current U.S. Representative Betsy
Markey, and their positions as outstanding champions for private
property rights, agriculture, and the Pinon Canyon
expansion opposition. On the state level, bi-partisan support was seen in
the passage of HB1317, as well as HB1069 in 2007.
The
signing echoes the opinion of the overwhelming majority of Colorado voters and their
representatives. The signing also signals strong support for a pending
federal ban of the expansion of Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS). US
Representatives John Salazar and Betsy Markey
have maintained their position against the expansion and are working to get
legislation passed affecting a permanent ban on any future attempts to expand
PCMS. Congressman Salazar and Congresswoman Markey continue to work
diligently to protect Colorado
from an overzealous effort to unnecessarily expand a little used maneuver site
and displace multitudes in the process.
We
now have yet another reason to be upbeat and excited for the future of
agriculture and our livelihoods, as we are being represented and
protected by those we have elected. We continue to be struck with awe by
the level of commitment our legislators have. Doing the right thing for
the right reason comes at just the right time! We need everyone to
continue to support those legislators who have so adeptly supported us; and we
hope everyone realizes the fight is far from over. We trust everyone
stays on board with the effort to oppose this expansion and to see it through to
the passage of legislation permanently barring expansion.
The
Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition is a broad-based coalition
representing communities across Southern Colorado
in their opposition to the proposed expansion of PCMS. PCEOC members include
business owners, teachers, students, elected officials, ranchers,
environmentalists and many others.
The coalition is united in its opposition to any expansion of PCMS. No
funding, no expansion.
For more information, please see www.pinoncanyon.com.
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