Jun 18, 2007 5:29 pm US/Mountain
Pinon Expansion Could Hurt More Than Ranchers
Prepared for cbs4denver.com by Matthew J. Buettner, Web Producer.
TRINIDAD, Colo. (AP) ―
Ranchers aren't the only ones worried about the Army's plan to expand its Pinon Canyon maneuver area.
Las Animas local government leaders said they will lose tax dollars if the Army takes the land.
Bill Cordova, who was Trinidad city manager when the area was created in the late 1970s, said the Army promised it would put money into the local economy, but it never happened.
Now a county commissioner, Cordova remains skeptical, and he said the Army's refusal to provide specifics make him even more uneasy.
The county has asked the Army for a map of its plan, but so far the only one they have been given is out-of-date.
County officials also want an independent analysis of the potential impact of the expansion.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
