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Second Regular Session

Sixty-first General Assembly

LLS NO. R98­0565.01 GWF

STATE OF COLORADO

State, Veterans and

Military Affairs

BY SENATOR Thiebaut


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 98-013

CONCERNING THE COLORADO AIRSPACE INITIATIVE.

WHEREAS, The Colorado General Assembly is committed to the preservation of Colorado's pristine and heavily­used public lands and to the protection of residents, landowners, and their property in areas adjacent to those public lands; and

WHEREAS, The Colorado Air National Guard and the Air National Guard Readiness Center have proposed a new airspace training program referred to as the "Colorado Airspace Initiative", which would expand La Veta Military Operation Area (MOA) and associated Military Training Routes (MTRs) in South Central Colorado; and

WHEREAS, The deafening noise and the sonic booms produced by the military jets flying at low altitudes already frighten residents, visitors, livestock, and wildlife in the La Veta MOA and in the surrounding areas; and

WHEREAS, The flight training operations associated with the proposed new La Veta MOA and associated MTRs will further destroy the peace and quiet in federally designated wilderness areas and other natural areas and will endanger the health and well­being of residents living near and under the proposed new La Veta MOA and associated MTRs; and

WHEREAS, Military training associated with the Colorado Airspace Initiative will have a disproportionate impact on certain rural regions of the state that derive no economic benefit from such military activities but instead incur significant economic damage due to the military units conducting that training; and

WHEREAS, The Colorado Air National Guard will not be the only user of airspace set aside for the Colorado Airspace Initiative, as military air units from other states and foreign nations will be authorized to conduct military training in such airspace; and

WHEREAS, Environmental study documents issued by the proponents of the Colorado Airspace Initiative do not adequately assess the impacts of, or consider the need for, the initiative and fail to consider other, less damaging alternatives; and

WHEREAS, The new La Veta MOA and associated MTRs are opposed by a wide variety of concerned groups and individuals; and

WHEREAS, The Colorado Air National Guard's proposal is almost unanimously opposed by the people who are living in the region to be affected by the proposal; and

WHEREAS, People who are living in the region to be affected by the proposal are angry and frustrated with the manner in which their lives and their property have been adversely affected by military training flights; and

WHEREAS, Implementing the La Veta MOA program will be disastrous for tourism, the economy, and the environment in the affected region; and

WHEREAS, The flight training operations associated with the proposed new La Veta MOA will reduce the value of and limit the ability to use property near and under the proposed new La Veta MOA; and

WHEREAS, The Colorado General Assembly is concerned with both the rights of affected property and livestock owners and the ability of the state to compensate property owners for any takings or losses that may occur as a result of the proposed flight training operations; and

WHEREAS, Property owners who are able to demonstrate that their property values have been adversely affected by the proposed new La Veta MOA may file claims against the state in accordance with existing law seeking just compensation for the reduction in their property values; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty­first General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

That the Colorado General Assembly expresses its strong opposition to the proposed new airspace training program referred to as the Colorado Airspace Initiative, which would include the expansion of La Veta Military Operation Area and associated Military Training Routes in South Central Colorado.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to the Colorado Air National Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration, the United States Department of Defense, and the Governor of the State of Colorado urging them to take all necessary and appropriate action to halt the Colorado Airspace Initiative and to consider not only the negative effects of the proposed program on the people, property, livestock, economy, environment, and wildlife in the southern region of the state, but also the potential legal and fiscal consequences of further pursuing the program.