Denver Direct: Pinon Canyon Update

from the PCEOC Newsletter:

In light of the ongoing recession it is important to keep in mind the economic consequences of PCMS expansion. Much of the productivity of the lands surrounding Pinon Canyon is invisible to the casual observer. A 100,000 acre expansion of PCMS would cost the communities of Southeastern Colorado $27 million to $76 million annually according to economic data compiled by Marilyn Musgrave and John Salazar. This includes tourism revenue, hunting revenue, cattle sales, agricultural salaries, and hay sales. Wind development on 100,000 acres would generate an additional $25 to $35 million annually. Gas fields east of I-25 could also become a reality as energy prices rise. The Army estimates PCMS expansion will bring $5 million in salary and $4 million in maintenance costs annually to the local economy. A good trade? Pro-expansion politicians say expansion is about jobs. They are right; expansion is about the loss of private sector jobs and businesses in southeast Colorado in the hope of creating tax payer funded jobs near Fort Carson.

See also Pinon Canyon Trailride (featuring Rep. Wes McKinley, Rep. Terrance Carroll, and Westword’s Patty Calhoun).