The army plans to take historic ranches, petroglyphs, and part of the Santa Fe trail, prompting the National Trust to name Pinon Canyon one of America's 11 Most Endangered Places this year. (NTHP)

How much is too much? That's a question Colorado farmers and preservationists are asking as the United States Army's Fort Carson establishes plans to expand a 236,000-acre maneuver site by as much as 417,000 acres as part of a possible long-term plan to acquire nearly two million acres.

"The site they already have is being underused," says Lon Robertson, president of the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition. "They already have so much land. What is that they have to do that they can't do on the land they already have?"

Traditionally called the Purgatorie River Region, the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site was given its name by the military in 1983, when it first acquired the land—an acquisition that came at a price.

"In 1983, a number of people were displaced by eminent domain, and it was a really awful time," says Rebecca Goodwin of the coalition. "Several landowners lost their land in that taking, and they have since purchased nearby land that is again at risk of being lost if the army's current area of interest becomes a reality."

The military's first acquisition had more than just a human impact. Included in the original land taking was the largest North American dinosaur track site, containing 1,300 dinosaur footprints. The track site was transferred into the care of the U.S. Forest Service in 1991, but more than 2,040 other archeologically and culturally significant sites remain within the boundaries of military control, 406 of which are considered worthy for placement on the National Register of Historic Places, Goodwin says.

 The army's current area of interest spans at least two Southeastern Colorado counties, but the boundaries are subject to slight changes, according to ThomasWarren, director of environmental compliace at Fort Carson.

Ten years ago, an archaeological survey documented more than 70 sites that are now included in the army's area of interest: from petroglyphs and pictographs to archaic period pit houses and historic ranches, passed down through generations. The area of interest includes the homestead of early Hispanic settlers and dozens of small cemeteries. The Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail, a major trade route between Saint Louis and the Southwest, is included in the proposed expansion as well.

"The small survey serves as an indicator of the richness and density of sites in the region,h says Goodwin, gbut there are thousands of pre-historic, archeological sites throughout the proposed expansion.h

The Santa Fe Trail and the Southeast Cultural Region were placed on Colorado Preservation, Inc.'s list of most endangered historic sites in February of this year. The canyon also made the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places this year.

"Ruts from the wagons are still visible [on the Mountain Branch], serving as evidence of westward expansion and the effects of heavy vehicles on the terrain," Goodwin says.

If a wagon nearly 200 years ago can leave a lasting mark on the rugged terrain, what will military machinery do to the land? We may soon find out.

According to Warren, the training requirements of today are not what they will be in five to 10 years. "We are planning for those future requirements. We are making efforts to evaluate training needs based on what the next war fought will be like."

Today the maneuver site is being used for the training necessary to prepare soldiers to fight in Iraq and Iran: "small arms, rifle and handgun practice, convoy operations, role play training, and long distances training," says Warren.

When the army originally acquired the site in 1983 they had promised they would never use live fire and they would never expand. Both of these promises have since been broken, with live fire first resounding through the land two years ago. Residents of South Eastern Colorado are getting worried that the army may go forward with plans regardless of opposition.

"They [the army] have been very vague. They do not speak to any of the landowners or county commissioners," Goodwin says. "The maps showing the area of interest include entire towns that would be completely displaced. They refuse to speak to anyone that it is going to effect."

While Warren declined to comment on the human impact of the proposed expansion other than to say that eminent domain was used in 1983, he did say that the army "must comply with every state regulation; this includes cultural resource protection and conservation where the resources can be conserved."

Preservationists and Coloradan citizens worry about what will happen to all of the archeological, cultural, and historic sites within the area of interest should the army expand.

"If the army takes control, the sites will be damaged. If you put heavy equipment and live fire on the sites they will be damaged. The public won't have access and that is part of our national heritage," Goodwin says.

Warren says that the army is well aware of the significance of sites included within the area of interest, and it ensures the protection of those areas.

Before the first line can even be drawn in an expansion, the army must first release an Environmental Impact Statement, a process that will take anywhere from 18 to 24 months, according to Warren.

In evaluating the land and the impact an expansion would have on the land, the army can determine how best to handle the archeological sites. "We survey, we identify and protect," says Warren. "We do not remove things from their natural settings unless they are in imminent danger of being lost through erosion and natural processes. Significant resources are restricted from the training or incorporated into the training scenario."

However, the expansion is not much more than a speck on the horizon right now. In mid-June, the U.S. House passed an amendment that would ban funds for the army to plan or expand the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. Now the amendment awaits Senate action which will likely occur in September.

Despite many obstacles in the way to expansion, those in opposition are not hopeful.

"Even if the Senate does pass the amendment, they aren't going to stop," says Roberston. "We may delay them for a year, but they are going to keep going."

Fort Carson and the army await Senate action, but Warren asserts that "the reality of a need to train uniformed personnel is not going to wane. Military training facilities are always going to be needed. It is incumbent on the citizens of this country to evaluate the need and make the decisions."

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