U.S. Senator Ken Salazar Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees 2300 15^th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
For Immediate Release Wednesday, September 10, 2008		CONTACT:Michael Amodeo – 303-249-5286 Matt Lee-Ashley – 202-228-5905
Sen. Salazar's Statement on Pinon Canyon Amendment WASHINGTON, DC – Today, United States Senator Ken Salazar released the following statement regarding his support for an amendment that would bar the federal government’s use of eminent domain in southeastern Colorado for the purpose of expanding the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS): “I continue to strongly oppose the use of eminent domain to expand Pinon Canyon in southeastern Colorado. The Army has said it would not use that power if the expansion were approved, but I support any measure that would put this promise into law. The protection of property rights is a guiding principle of our society, and my support for this straight-forward and common-sense amendment is rooted in my firm belief that this principle must be upheld. “But to be sure, my position with respect to PCMS expansion remains unchanged. Before any acquisition occurs with taxpayer dollars, we must honor the process we put in place last year to get answers from the Army on whether they even need the land or, if they acquired the land, what effect it would have on southeastern Colorado. Under that process, the GAO must review the Army’s justification and report, and the public must have an opportunity to comment on it. To allow that process to be completed, I will continue to support an extension of the moratorium on expansion.” ###