Pinon Canyon: Coffman Irked by Ritter Bill Signing

U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) issued a statement today in response to Governor Bill Ritter´s announcement, last Saturday, to the Pueblo Chieftain that he intends to sign House Bill 1317 into law. House Bill 1317 would bar the U.S. Army from either buying or leasing any property owned by the Colorado Land Board. The purpose of the legislation is designed to stop the U.S. Army from acquiring 100,000 acres of land in southeastern Colorado that is adjacent to the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS). The Colorado Land Board has sections of land throughout the area that the Army wants to lease or purchase. " I´m a combat veteran with five overseas deployments, four of which have taken me to the Middle East, and I fully understand the Army´s need for this scaled down request. Today, the Governor sent a clear message to the U.S. Army that he doesn´t want them in Colorado and I think that the Department of Defense will respond accordingly," Coffman said. Coffman has served in both the U.S. Army and in the Marine Corps and now sits on the House Armed Services Committee...American Chronicle