Cattle Producers Ask Defense Department to Withdraw Expansion Plans for the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site [PCMS]
 
 
 
 

August 2, 2006
 

Importance: High
 
For Immediate Release
 
R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America
 
 
Contact: Shane Dodson, Communications Coordinator
 
sdodson@r-calfusa.com or 406-672-8969
 

Billings, Montana - R-CALF USA recently sent a letter to the Department of Defense that requested the U.S. Army to withdraw expansion plans for the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) in southeast Colorado. R-CALF USA also requested a meeting with appropriate Defense Department representatives for the purpose of exploring alternatives to the proposal to expand the site. A copy of the letter also was sent to Sen. John Warner, R-Va., who chairs the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who chairs the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.
 
“This proposed expansion is part of Fort Carson’s efforts to bring in more troops and increase the military’s land holdings in Colorado,” said Kimmi Lewis, who chairs R-CALF USA’s Property Rights Committee. “Neither Fort Carson nor Department of Defense representatives have quantified the exact number of acres involved in the planned expansion, nor have they provided information regarding the number of existing small businesses and families that likely would be displaced by the expansion.
 
Lewis, of Kim, Colorado, said the maneuver site is located in Las Animas County, which not only is the largest county in the state, but also is the most productive county, in terms of cattle-production enterprises, having the largest population of breeding cattle. There is speculation the proposed expansion could involve 418,000 acres to 2.5 million acres, she said.
 
PCMS currently is the second largest Defense Department training site in the nation. PCMS was completed in 1983 at an approximate cost of $26 million and consists of 245,000 acres. The Defense Department manages about 25 million acres nationwide.
 
“Hundreds of small businesses, consisting of independent ranching and farming operations -- some of which have been family owned and operated for several generations -- could be completely or partially eliminated as a result of the expansion, causing potentially severe economic impacts, as well as adverse social impacts, to rural communities throughout the region,” Lewis explained.
 
In February, R-CALF USA representatives met with members of Congress to discuss their concerns about, and opposition to, expansion of the maneuver site.
 
“R-CALF believes the Defense Department was ill-advised to proceed with its proposal, given the expansion’s likelihood of eliminating productive agricultural land and numerous small business enterprises, which will result in the displacement of families, the communities they now support, and a loss of the county’s tax base,” Lewis continued.
 
“R-CALF USA further believes the Defense Department was remiss when, on December 14, 2000, it entered into a formal Memorandum of Understanding between The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an agreement presumably based on a belief that The Nature Conservancy represented the land-holding interests within the affected region,” she said. “We are concerned that The Nature Conservancy continues to misrepresent the interests of the affected region.
 
“R-CALF USA does, indeed, understand the importance of maintaining a strong military, but the elimination of a productive component of our nation’s food-production industry, along with the involved small businesses, families, and communities to achieve that objective, appears counterproductive,” Lewis emphasized.
 
 
R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on domestic and international trade and marketing issues. R-CALF USA, a national, non-profit organization, is dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA’s membership consists primarily of cow/calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and feedlot owners. Its members -- over 18,000 strong -- are located in 47 states, and the organization has over 60 local and state association affiliates, from both cattle and farm organizations. Various main street businesses are associate members of R-CALF USA. For more information, visit http://www.r-calfusa.com or call 406-252-2516.