Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site
The Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (also Pinon and Pinyon) is a 235,896 acre (955 km2) U.S. Army base in southeastern Colorado. The Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) is a training site for Fort Carson. The proposed expansion of PCMS by the army has encountered opposition from local citizens and conservation groups.
PCMS is located northeast of Trinidad, Colorado, and is part of Las Animas County, Colorado. It borders on Comanche National Grassland to its north. The Purgatoire River, locally known as the Picketwire, is its eastern boundary. Elevations on Site range from 4,300 to 5,800 feet (1,311 to 1,768 mts.) The Site has a semi-arid, steppe climate. Annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches (305–406 mm). The terrain of PCMS is flat to rolling and dotted with small, rocky hills and mesas. The Purgatoire River flows in a 300–400 feet deep canyon and its tributaries have cut steep arroyos into the terrain. Vegetation is mostly shortgrass prairie mixed with pinyon and juniper trees.
Prior to the creation of PCMS this area was lightly populated and devoted almost entirely to ranching and livestock grazing. A branch of the Santa Fe Trail runs near PCMS and ancient Indian rock art and petroglyphs are common in the rocky canyons. Pronghorn, Elk, and Mule Deer are the principal large mammals found in the area.
The Army purchased the land making up PCMS in 1983. Eminent domain was used to acquire almost half the area as many land owners were unwilling sellers. The purpose of PCMS is “to provide critical maneuver lands” for soldiers from Fort Carson and other military bases. PCMS and Fort Carson are second only to Fort Irwin, California in area devoted to maneuver training. In the words of the Army, “PCMS can accommodate a full range of maneuver training, including brigade-level, force-on-force maneuvers.” Facilities on the site include a cantonment area, a railhead, helipads, and an airstrip. PCMS “hosts two major military exercises a year. In each exercise roughly 5,000 troops, 300 heavy tracked vehicles and 400 wheeled vehicles take to the expansive wilderness in month-long, intensive war maneuver exercises."
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