Crowding in Colorado?

Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Co.) has been worrying about encroachment issues at Buckley, Peterson, and Schriever Air Force Bases in Colorado, declaring earlier this week that “development has come in and essentially encapsulated the perimeters of the bases,” according to The Gazette. Salazar managed to get legislation in the 2008 defense authorization bill that would require DOD to “address the military installation encroachment problem” and provide a report by March 1. The bill still has to pass a House and Senate conference. And, the Senate version of the 2008 defense spending bill includes $20 million of the $50 million Salazar had proposed for a Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative to help curb encroachment. Salazar has met with Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne to discuss remedies that might currently exist. As The Gazette reports, he believes, “We need to be much more active in making sure that we are guarding these golden nuggets of Colorado.”