I am hoping others will send comments on subjects such as "Scenic River Designation" 
and "Petroglyph preservation", " Native American archeological sites", 
"Santa Fe Trail preservation", "Endangered species of mammals, birds, fish",
and any other subject that was brought up Saturday.
 
TO: Department of the Army                              July 11, 2006
Directorate of Environmental Compliance and Management
Attn: PCMS NEPA Coordinator
1638 Elwell St. Bldg 6236
Fort Carson CO 80913-4356

Dear Coordinator,

I learned on Saturday, July 8 that the comment period on the scoping
process which leads to a Draft EIS is still open. I also for the first
time got a copy of the Transformation EIS Fact Sheet which was
distributed at the April 26, 2006 and April 27, 2006 public meetings. 
I submit the following comments and questions to be addressed before the
Draft EIS is finalized:

I strongly urge the NEPA coordinator to address the concerns of
professors Beidelman and Armstrong concerning the inadequacy of the
original EIS for PCMS in setting the baseline for plant and animal life
on the original parcel. I include several pages of their comments with
this letter. The analysis not done then should be done now.
On page 2 of the Fact sheet it is stated that " new training standards"
require "that existing and proposed additional units must train at the
Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site range area more frequently and with greater
intensity than has historically occurred." What are the current limits?

How has the environment changed to allow for more volume and intensity
going forward? Is the sole issue assumed to be military necessity or does
the "environment" have standing in this argument? Is "mitigation"
considered to be an infinite tool?

It would appear that the site is assumed to have a drastically increased
capacity for use. The level of use will now require a hospital, urban
training facility, hand grenade range, and ammunition holding area,
temporary billeting, upgraded roads and utilities.

To find out if the facility can handle all this in its present boundaries
I urge that 2 specific studies be undertaken. 

1. With the assistance of professor Martin Lockley of UC Denver I suggest
a complete survey of the dinosaur track specimens and possible dinosaur
fossil specimens present on the PCMS site. Professor Lockley has just
completed such a survey in the John Martin Reservoir area under the
auspices of the Army Corps of Engineers and would be capable of handling
such a task.

2. I suggest that The Nature Conservancy be asked to do a 48 hour "bio
blitz" of the PCMS to address the shortfall in the original EIS mentioned
above .