Ranchers fighting the Army's effort to expand the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site have filed a federal open records claim with Fort Carson to get an accounting of what money and time is being spent on expansion planning.

The ranchers argue the Army's action is illegal under the terms of the 2008 federal budget law.

Mack Louden, a rancher and board member of the group, Not 1 More Acre, argued the records will show the Army is continuing to use contractors, particularly the Booz Allen Hamilton public relations firm, to do expansion planning. That planning includes the recent meetings with Southern Colorado community members to discuss the planned 414,000-acre expansion of the Pinon Canyon training area.

Louden and other opponents point to the 2008 federal budget law signed by President Bush in January because it contains a one-year moratorium on the Army spending any money on the Pinon Canyon expansion. That ban was authored and sponsored by Reps. Marilyn Musgrave and John Salazar, who claim that expanding Pinon Canyon would ruin the ranching economy of Las Animas County and the region.

Fort Carson officials have defended the recent invitation-only meetings with community members, saying they are necessary because of another law Congress passed - the 2008 Defense Authorization Act. It contains an amendment from Colorado Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar, which requires Army officials to deliver an extensive report to lawmakers on why it wants a larger Pinon Canyon, what economic assistance it can provide the area and what other training options are possible. The Army has a $500,000-a-year contract with Booz Allen to work on Pinon Canyon and the firm did the initial work organizing information meetings with the public in 2006 and 2007. When the one-year moratorium was approved by Congress last autumn, Fort Carson officials said they redirected Booz Allen to working on the reports requested by the senators.

In a statement Friday, Louden said the Army is defying the one-year moratorium and that should be stopped.

"They are ignoring all the voices of democracy opposed to the Pentagon's plan, from the community and county level, through the state Legislature and right on up to the U.S. Congress," he said.

Louden said that Musgrave, a Republican whose 4th Congressional District includes land to the east of Pinon Canyon, has asked the House Appropriations Committee to investigate whether the Army is violating the one-year spending ban.

Salazar, a Democrat whose 3rd District includes Pinon Canyon, has also said he is concerned the Army is ignoring the budget law.

Louden said opponents are expecting supporters of the moratorium to enforce it.