None The Nature Conservancy in Colorado Press Releases Search All Press Releases Christine Broda-Bahm Phone: (720) 974-7002 Cell: (303) 910-5427 Email: cbrodabahm@tnc.org

The Nature Conservancy Supports Buffer Zone Project at Fort Carson to Protect Critical Wildlife Habitat

Buffer zone around Army base creates “win-win-win” for military, local ranchers and conservation

Colorado Springs, Colorado—January 14, 2005—The Nature Conservancy today joined Colorado Senator Wayne Allard and Congressman Joel Hefley to call for the allocation of funds to create a “buffer zone” that would protect open space around Fort Carson, protecting critical wildlife habitat, while preserving the Army’s ability to train soldiers at the installation.

Development around Fort Carson is affecting important wildlife habitat and jeopardizing military preparedness by limiting the types of training activities the Army can conduct.  Encroaching development can create conflicts between training activities and local residents.  In addition, development reduces habitat for key species, increasing the burden on Army land managers and potentially reducing long-term training flexibility. 

“We are pleased to be working with Senator Allard, Representative Hefley, and our friends at Fort Carson to reach the common goal of preserving these critical lands around Fort Carson,” said Charles Bedford, Colorado State Director for The Nature Conservancy.

“The Nature Conservancy has had a long partnership with Fort Carson, and applauds Senator Allard and Representative Hefley’s vision and leadership in calling for the creation of a buffer zone around the base,” said Bedford, adding, “This is truly a win-win-win project that protects critical wildlife habitat at a landscape scale, ensures that the military can continue training, and allows local ranchers to continue their traditional way of life.”

Four globally rare plant species live on the land surrounding Fort Carson: the Arkansas River feverfew, the Pueblo goldenweed, golden blazing star and Round-leaf four-o’clock.  In addition, this short grass prairie habitat has been identified as having high conservation value in the Conservancy’s Central Shortgrass Prairie Ecoregional Assessment, a blueprint for conservation of natural resources in the Colorado prairie.

Under the buffer zone program, willing landowners would be paid to keep their land undeveloped around the base.  The Nature Conservancy is working with private landowners to create voluntary land conservation agreements and has already reached preliminary agreements with the two largest property owners in the targeted area.

All that is now needed is the money to make it all happen.

Last year Congress appropriated $12.5 million in what was described by Defense Officials as a "phase in" amount for establishing a comprehensive, nation-wide program to protect military bases, ranges, and critical airspace while at the same time enhancing the protection of biodiversity in key areas.

Under a program created in 2003, Congress gave the Department of Defense the authority to form partnerships with “eligible entities” – such as The Nature Conservancy – to create natural buffer zones in the vicinity of military bases.

The Nature Conservancy is teamingwith the Department of Defense and other partners at more than two dozen bases across the country to create protected buffer zones.

In cooperation with willing land owners, state agencies and other organizations, The Nature Conservancy and the Department of Defense are working to protect hundreds of thousands of acres of critical wildlife habitat across the country using a combination of land acquisition and legal and voluntary land conservation agreements that protect critical wildlife habitat, while preserving the military’s ability to train.