The Army is considering some changes to its Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, a training ground in Southern Colorado located between La Junta and Trinidad.Officials at Fort Carson Army post near Colorado Springs say the goal is to modernize the site. The proposed changes are aimed at better supporting large-scale military exercises that use both air and land resources.
Before the Army can implement any changes, though, it must undergo a 45-day public comment period, which began at the end of November, as part of federally required environmental and historic preservation reviews.
Changes at the nearly 236,000-acre training site could include expanding restricted airspace, renovating and improving infrastructure at troop quarters, constructing new training ranges, and establishing a dedicated area for disposing of unexploded ordinances. The Army also wants to study removing or abandoning part of a natural gas pipeline that crosses the area.
As part of the review process from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Army will also include alternatives, including one which would see no changes to the current site. But the Army said in a statement that "by making these improvements, the Army would ensure that PCMS remains a critical training location capable of replicating diverse and complex battlefield conditions, which are essential for maintaining combat readiness."
The creation of PCMS has long been seen as controversial among ranchers and other locals in the area. It was created in the 1980s through a series of land acquisitions. The Army said in this most recent announcement that "No new land acquisition is proposed."
The Army is collecting comments online or through the mail through Jan. 13, 2026 and at two scoping meetings:
Tues. Dec. 9, 2025 - Trinidad State College (5-7 p.m.): The Pioneer Room, the Sullivan Center, 600 Prospect St., Trinidad, Colo.
Wed. Dec. 10, 2025 - Koshare Museum (5-7 p.m).: 115 W. 18th St., La Junta, Colo.
