There was more heated debate over the expansion of training territory in southern Colorado Thursday evening at Pinon Canyon.

The army wants to expand the Pinon Canyon maneuver site by hundreds of thousands of acres, and land owners near it are afraid they'll be forced to sell.

Army reps tried to reassure the crowd that a lot has to happen before anyone sells anything, and they're hoping no one will be forced.

However, the crowd wasn't convinced.

With the army's opening remarks completed, the small crowd of landowners took the floor... “if you don't want to give it to me, we'll fight it out.”

Joy Klein and more than a hundred residents of Las Animas County packed a Trinidad meeting hall looking for a straight answer about how big Pinon Canyon could get and when and if they will lose their homes in the process.

Lieutenant Colonel Jim Rice says there are no solid answers, only a revised plan.

The army wants to expand the maneuver sight to make room for improved training.

Right now, they’re looking at acquiring land to the south near the Purgatory river and northwest about 10 miles east of Walsenburg-close to a half a million acres in all.

Before any expansion occurs a plan opposed by Las Animas County and Trinidad's governing boards... the army must first satisfy a series of environmental requirements and get congressional approval.

Army officials say they want the approval of landowners willing to sell,
which could be hard to come by as a new plan offers some hints, but very few answers.

Senator Wayne Allard's office released a statement Thursday stating that there are enough landowners willing to sell, that eminent domain won't be needed.

No one at the meeting could confirm or deny that.

The environmental studies that must be complete before any land is acquired will probably wrap up by the end of the year.