Army Seeks Community Input on Piñon Canyon Training Expansion
The U.S. Army began local outreach this month to gather feedback on proposed changes at the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, including expanded restricted airspace and increased training days, that could affect daily life across Las Animas County. The proposals carry environmental and cultural implications, and residents have until Jan. 13, 2026 to submit public comments as the Army completes an environmental review under federal law.
Fort Carson officials opened a public engagement process in early December to discuss a potential reconfiguration of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, known locally as PCMS. The largest proposal would not expand the ground footprint of the site, but would reconfigure restricted airspace from 10,000 feet to 60,000 feet and, under the most ambitious scenario, raise annual training days from about 212 to 313. Proposed infrastructure work includes renovating troop quarters, building new training ranges and establishing a dedicated area for the disposal of unexploded ordnance. Several functions now carried out at Fort Carson could be relocated to PCMS.
Army staff held outreach meetings at Trinidad State College on Dec. 9 and a public meeting in La Junta on Dec. 10 as part of a 45 day public comment period that runs through Jan. 13, 2026. Tori Ferrara, the NEPA program manager for Fort Carson, said the process will analyze potential environmental impacts as required under the National Environmental Policy Act. The Army notice accompanying the review also provides a short link for submitting comments online.
Early public concerns raised during the meetings focused on potential impacts to archaeological sites within PCMS, questions about the Model Helium Dome underlying part of the area, and local interest in what types of jobs or industry might accompany expanded activity. Community members also expressed broader worries about increased noise and the consequences of more frequent training for daily life in nearby towns and for land users across the county.
The proposal sits at the intersection of national training needs and local stewardship of cultural and natural resources. For Las Animas County residents the review is a practical moment to weigh in on how federal training requirements will be balanced with protections for archaeological sites, public safety around unexploded ordnance, airspace use and local economic opportunities. The Army will continue outreach and complete an environmental review under NEPA before final decisions are made. Residents and stakeholders may submit comments through the short link provided in the Army notice before the Jan. 13, 2026 deadline.
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