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Growth Opponent Corrals More Land for Pueblo County, Colo., Open-Space Buffer

Posted on: Thursday, 30 June 2005, 18:00 CDT

Jun. 30--Pueblo County rancher Gary Walker, pushing for an open-space buffer between Pueblo West and Fort Carson, recently finalized several new land additions.

Earlier this month, Walker and his wife, Georgia, paid $2.35 million for a 2,300-acre section of adjacent ranchland held by residential developers Red Creek Ranch, according to Pueblo County records.

The land sits between the northwest corner of Pueblo West and southeast corner of Fort Carson.

Walker in recent weeks also purchased six smaller pieces of ranchland in the same general area, according to Pueblo County court records. Their combined purchase price totaled $870,000.

All of the smaller parcels fall within or alongside Walker's existing ranch.

One of the parcels, sold for $500,000, belonged to his father, fellow rancher Bob Walker, and its acquisition solidifies Gary Walker's holding of all of the land directly south of Fort Carson to U.S. 50.

Bob Walker owns much of the land to the base's southeast.

Gary Walker, now in talks with Fort Carson about selling the Army a conservation easement that would keep land in the area off limits to housing, said he wanted to wait before commenting extensively on the land buys.

In general, the deals represent a continuation of his efforts to keep the area around his expansive Turkey Creek Ranch free of residential development, Walker said.

"Anytime that I can afford to purchase property that is connecting to Turkey Creek Ranch, I do it," Walker said.

Walker is a vocal opponent of any further growth by Pueblo West to the north.

Walker counts as an ally Fort Carson officials. Military base leadership favors the establishment of a clear-cut buffer zone to the south to separate the base from any residential growth.

Under one proposal, Walker could receive upward of $13 million from the U.S. Army in exchange for guarantees that his land would remain open space, according to The Nature Conservancy.

Congress thus far declines to allocate much spending on such land buys. In 2004, Congress allocated only $12.5 million nationwide for such projects, according to The Nature Conservancy.

Walker's property is also eyed as a pass-through site for the large water pipeline Colorado Springs proposes building to Lake Pueblo. Walker recently reaffirmed his opposition to using any of his land for the pipeline.

Bob and Gary Walker now own about 80,000 acres in the area.

A message left with Red Creek Ranch was not returned.

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

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Source: The Pueblo Chieftain

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