Several articles have been puiblished in the Post and News lately, highlighting the Pinon Canyon controversy - the Army plan to seize 438,000 acres of private and public grassland in SE Colorado. The larger plan is to take all of the SE part of the state. The Army claims they need the land for training and long-range weaponry. They also claim that our shortgrass prairie is nearly identical terrain to Iraq and Afghanistan - none of which is true.
This is not a political issue or a question of supporting our troops. It is a moral and social issue that affects 5th generation ranching families and an endangered landscape.
The attached image is a view to the south towards Picketwire Canyon and all of the area in the picture is included in the land grab.
If you are concerned that the Army can just take land from hundreds of families and the Comanche National Grassland from you and me, please visit pinoncanyon.com, sign the petition and call your elected officials - all of whom have rejected the Army plan.
Posted by Art Escobado on May 31, 2007 at 12:02 PM
Thanks for the info and link, this situation was mentioned in the May 2007 Nat'l Geographic. Petition signed, thanks Dave.
Posted by John De Bord on May 31, 2007 at 12:15 PM
Consider that signed. Thank you, I will fwd this, and post this in upcoming journal of mine on deviantArt. It will garner a lotta attention there.
I drove south from La Junta last week through that area, got some real interesting pics in the canyonlands north of Kim (sorry i dont have any to post right now). It was interesting seeing all the dozens of signs lining the road "Not 4 Sale". Under emminent domain, the Army probably has a pretty strong legal argument, but given the oposition this plan has generated, i suspect it will go the way of the Yucca Mtn plan in Nevada: NIMBY will eventually win out. I have a lot of sympathy for the landowners, especially since i dont see the land grab as necessary at all, but driving past all those miles of cattle grazing behind barbed wired fences, i question what has been the real threat to this "endangered landscape".
It is generally thought there will be an "expansion"; the only question being how big? NIMBY doesn't seem to apply here.
Your question about the endangered lanscape is excellent because the ecosystem is so misunderstood. Before I attempt to respond, I'd like to ask the question: Where can you go to see the Great Plains of North America?
So here goes:
* One percent of the shortgrass prairie is protected, making it the most endangered ecosystem on earth.
* The Colorado shortgrass prairie land mass is 42% of the state and 86% privately held.
* The prairie must be grazed for ecosystem health and ranchers are using cattle to mimic bison grazing.
* Birds are the canary in the coal mine and virtually all shortgrass prairie birds are in rapid decline.
* Colorado is making great strides in bringing the public and private land owners together and the Colorado Birding Trail enables us to visit and view wildlife on private ranches.
* The Nature Conservancy has stepped up their conservation easement purchases and has tripled land protection in recent years.
* CDOW has completely changed their approach with land owners and is building trust. I have seen this first hand and been blown away.
Specific to the Comanche region affected by the planned "expansion":
* There are valuable archological sites that have not been explored/excavated, including Picketwire Canyon.
* The region is rich with petroglyphs and pictographs.
* Both the upland prairie habitat and the canyons provide unique and important grassland prairie for birds and mammals.
* The area is dependent on agriculture for survival and represents many outstanding conservation opportunities. (too many to list here)
* From a selfish perspective, photo opportunities are limitless and mountain biking is great fun.
Although the Great Plains only exist in our imagination, there are many folks working hard to preserve what is left. Seizing ranches (in the name of freedom), stealing public lands, and declaring war on the prairie is not the answer.
Another side of it that I have been following, is the human side. You take a family that has
been punching cows for several generations--what do they do for a living after the government
buys them out? As I understand it, under eminent domain, they get what the land is
supposedly worth, but get nothing for losing their way to make a living, nothing for retraining
etc.
Petition is signed and thanks for the info! Comanche has been on my must visit list for a couple of years, but yet to get there. I do get out to Pawnee Grasslands a couple of times a year. While I'd much prefer that this area remains unpublicized, undeveloped, and uncrowded, it really doesn't seem like it's being managed as a natural area to preserve or restore the shortgrass prairie habitat. Seems like 90% or 95% of the area is grazed to the max. I'm sure this helps some of the ranchers, but seems a little extreme.
Discussion
12 repliesThis is not a political issue or a question of supporting our troops. It is a moral and social issue that affects 5th generation ranching families and an endangered landscape.
The attached image is a view to the south towards Picketwire Canyon and all of the area in the picture is included in the land grab.
If you are concerned that the Army can just take land from hundreds of families and the Comanche National Grassland from you and me, please visit pinoncanyon.com, sign the petition and call your elected officials - all of whom have rejected the Army plan.
It is generally thought there will be an "expansion"; the only question being how big? NIMBY doesn't seem to apply here.
Your question about the endangered lanscape is excellent because the ecosystem is so misunderstood. Before I attempt to respond, I'd like to ask the question: Where can you go to see the Great Plains of North America?
So here goes:
* One percent of the shortgrass prairie is protected, making it the most endangered ecosystem on earth.
* The Colorado shortgrass prairie land mass is 42% of the state and 86% privately held.
* The prairie must be grazed for ecosystem health and ranchers are using cattle to mimic bison grazing.
* Birds are the canary in the coal mine and virtually all shortgrass prairie birds are in rapid decline.
* Colorado is making great strides in bringing the public and private land owners together and the Colorado Birding Trail enables us to visit and view wildlife on private ranches.
* The Nature Conservancy has stepped up their conservation easement purchases and has tripled land protection in recent years.
* CDOW has completely changed their approach with land owners and is building trust. I have seen this first hand and been blown away.
Specific to the Comanche region affected by the planned "expansion":
* There are valuable archological sites that have not been explored/excavated, including Picketwire Canyon.
* The region is rich with petroglyphs and pictographs.
* Both the upland prairie habitat and the canyons provide unique and important grassland prairie for birds and mammals.
* The area is dependent on agriculture for survival and represents many outstanding conservation opportunities. (too many to list here)
* From a selfish perspective, photo opportunities are limitless and mountain biking is great fun.
Although the Great Plains only exist in our imagination, there are many folks working hard to preserve what is left. Seizing ranches (in the name of freedom), stealing public lands, and declaring war on the prairie is not the answer.
End of rant.
been punching cows for several generations--what do they do for a living after the government
buys them out? As I understand it, under eminent domain, they get what the land is
supposedly worth, but get nothing for losing their way to make a living, nothing for retraining
etc.
Art L.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6151466