Coffman defends proposal to ban Pinon land seizures

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman on Thursday defended a bill he is sponsoring that would ban the Army’s use of eminent domain to secure additional land around the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. The Aurora congressman said the bill was proposed strictly to protect the rights of property owners and nothing else. Coffman challenged claims by members of the Pinon Canyon Expansion opposition coalition that said the measure is a back-door method to remove a ban on funding for the proposed expansion. "This bill does not address that (funding). There is no question in my mind that property rights are a two-way street. "I absolutely don't want ranchers to be forced to sell or lease their property. At the same time, I think that if there is a willing seller out there that they ought to be allowed to do so," Coffman said. Third District U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa, and former 4th District U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Fort Morgan, authored a funding ban for the proposed expansion in 2007. They worked with Salazar's brother, former Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, a Democrat, to get the ban in place. John Salazar said Thursday that Coffman is no friend to Pinon Canyon and questions his motive for the proposed bill...more