There's 10 days left for us to comment on the NPS weapons regulations.

There are over 13 thousand comments already. We got a HUGE number of those from the VCDL co-petitioners but we need all the support we can get.

In a nutshell, the DOI proposed regulation is itself a "patchwork" of unnecessary burden thanks to them proposing their vague "analogous state lands" language. The VCDL Petitioners proposed revised language which eliminates this language.


You can comment online here

Please, if you do comment, PLEASE incorporate the VCDL petitioner language in your comments:

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I support the proposed change to permit loaded firearms / weapons in National Parks and Wildlife refuges but comment that the proposed regulation should be amended as follows:

the Department of the Interior & National Park Service should amend the current regulation concerning weapons as follows:

Title 36--Parks, Forests, and Public Property
CHAPTER I?NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DOI
PART 2?RESOURCE PROTECTION, PUBLIC USE AND RECREATION
1. The authority citation for part 2 continues to read as follows:
AUTHORITY: 16 U.S.C. 1, 3, 9a, 17j-2, 462.
2. Amend § 2.4 by adding a new paragraph (h) to read as follows:
§ 2.4 Weapons, traps and nets.
* * * * *
(h) A person may possess, carry, and transport loaded, and operable firearms or other weapons within a national park area in the same manner, and to the same extent, that a person may lawfully possess, carry, and transport loaded and operable firearms or other weapons in the state in which the federal park, or that portion thereof, is located, provided that such possession, carrying and transporting otherwise complies with applicable federal and state law.

Title 50--Wildlife and Fisheries
CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DOI
PART 27--PROHIBITED ACTS
1. The authority citation for part 27 continues to read as follows:
AUTHORITY: Sec. 2, 33 Stat. 614, as amended (16 U.S.C. 685); Sec. 5, 43 Stat. 651 (16 U.S.C. 725); Sec. 5, Stat. 449 (16 U.S.C. 690d); Sec. 10, 45 Stat. 1224 (16 U.S.C. 715i); Sec. 4, 48 Stat.402, as amended (16 U.S.C. 664); Sec. 2, 48 Stat. 1270 (43 U.S.C. 315a); 49 Stat. 383 as amended; Sec. 4, 76 Stat. (16 U.S.C. 460k); Sec. 4, 80 Stat. 927 (16 U.S.C. 668dd) (5 U.S.C.685, 752, 690d); 16 U.S.C. 715s).
Subpart D -- Disturbing Violations: With Weapons
2. Amend § 27.42 by adding a new paragraph (e) to read as follows:
§ 27.42 Firearms.
* * * * *

(e) A person may possess, carry, and transport loaded, and operable firearms or other weapons within a national wildlife refuge in the same manner, and to the same extent, that a person may lawfully possess, carry, and transport loaded and operable firearms or other weapons in the state in which the federal wildlife refuge, or that portion thereof, is located, provided that such possession, carrying and transporting otherwise complies with applicable federal and state law.
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I have more information at:
http://www.bighammer.net/Frame-24-timeline...4.html#05/01/08
Or
www.bighammer.net/timeline.html

Here are some highlights.

Some opponents of this change, including some Park Service unit superintendents have commented they don't see a need for this change and why would a person need a weapon in a park. This of course is a false premise. There have been several murders, rapes, robberies, drug smugglers, and other crimes in National Parks. Further, the National Park Service has publicly stated it "(NPS) cannot guarantee the safety of ... park visitors"

Documented in NPS Intermountain region FOIA response IMR/08-51 dated 02/01/08. In the response, officials from the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument admit that they require researchers to sign a waiver that they will not hold the government / NPS liable if they are injured or killed by border crossers or other criminals. They go on to admonish that NPS cannot guarantee the safety of researchers or assistants.

See - http://www.bighammer.net/images/020608_NPS_permit.pdf
See also - http://www.bighammer.net/images/020608_NPSFOIA_notsafe1.pdf

The proposed regulation "analogous state lands" unnecessarily over complicates administration of Parks weapons regulations. The changed regulation should harmoniously assimilate the law of the state in which the park or wildlife refuge resides without having to maintain a list of current state park or similar "analogous" lands at the federal level.


The proposed regulation does not address those whose domiciles lie within, or adjacent to NPS managed lands. Under the proposed regulation, citizens who live on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Ocracoke Island, Oak Island, Colonial Parkway, George Washington Parkway, Cape Cod National Seashore and many more NPS managed lands would be in violation of the propose regulation the moment they walked outside their house if the firearm was not loaded & concealed.
See - http://www.moffatcountysheriff.com/brookstocomstock.htm
See also - http://www.moffatcountysheriff.com/npstomantle.htm

If you haven't commented, please take the time to do so. If you know others who haven't, then please ask them to as well.

Thanks!

There are already people carring guns in the National Parks, regardless of legality. Poachers, bear hunters, these are some very dangerous folks. They'd just as soon shoot at a Park Ranger as a bear, because they know if they get caught, it's Federal time they're looking at. I even had to take a pistol off a Detective from Charlotte once as he was carrying in the Park, and at that time it was illegal, even for him. He was on vacation, but carrying a side arm.

I don't really know how I feel about this proposal.

Commented yesterday..

Wow! So they make anti-bear revolvers for personal safety, but it'll illegal to have one?

in a National Park, yup.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll do my part. It's another stupid law. Lets see, I can carry a gun in the middle of downtown with thousands of people around me. But as soon as I go into a national park, far away from any LEO/ranger help, I'm a danger?

I've seen Deliverance, I'm not going out into the middle of nowhere unarmed.

they sell a T-shirt my wife bought the other day around here that says:

PADDLE FASTER - I HEAR BANJO MUSIC !

DO my eyes deceive me? IS there actually in existence one of the SWORN ENEMY of gun owners here, an NPS ranger? ? ? ? ? ? ? AND with a cool name like David?

Couldn't be. I must be imagining things.


Paddle faster... :-)

Thanks guys. Please help spread the word. EVERY comment counts. Spouses, friends, family who owe you a favor, range buddies who mooched a few rounds off you last time. They all count, and should be willing to do you a 'solid'.

It makes no sense to ban firearms in the middle of the woods, yet allow them on city streets where there is a much higher danger and liability to citizens. Why, because some one might use it to hunt illegally? That is absurd.

I do not believe that the Federal government should ever have the authority to dictate who may be armed, when or where, with the obvious exception of Military bases, Federal Courts and where National Security interests require it.

I also makes little sense to disarm a local law enforcement officer just because you can. I have run into people I have arrested in the strangest of places.

This is exactly why the country was founded with the intent of having a weak central Federal government with limited authority and strong and sovereign state governments.

The sooner we get back to that, if we can, the better America will be.

Great comments to add to the Petitioner requested regulation language above.
http://www.bighammer.net/Frame-24-timeline...4.html#05/01/08

I did my part!

The site was apparently down early this morning, I assumed due to maintenance. Good to see it back up.

People who mean to poach or do harm to rangers, will do so regardless of the law. As usual, this law was aimed at the law abiding.

I hope they do change the regs, my local National Forests allow firearms, which have subsequently saved the lives of law abiding citizens in a few cases I am aware of. In the West, cannibis crops are big bussiness and a lot of it is taking place on national park land, these guys shoot first and ask questions later. Its usualy the unsuspecting hiker or angler working a stream that run into these "farms".

Last year we took a family road trip to yellowstone. I did a couple of hunts in northern Northern Nevada and eastern Idaho on my way. I was honest and told the ranger at the west gate that I had firearms when he asked. He then made me completely disassemble my hunting rifles (take the action out of the stocks which means I have to re-zero them) and let the ranger conduct a search of my truck and trailer before I was allowed in Yellowstone. Ranger told me to "never bring them again". I got one better, how bout I never go to Yellowstone again.

done......lets hope that there are sensible people left in the admin.

I went camping last memorial day in northern nevada. We got there before park staff, scouted campgrounds,and surrounding area nobody around! Found lots of mountainlion tracks,deer coyote,ect. Yes we were armed. Park staff arrived the next day, I asked about the mountainlion tracks,and he said they are all over the place.I then asked about being armed(packing my xd45)When hiking,fishing,camp security. He told me if something tried to attack do what you got to do, human life is more important! He also stated they never travel alone in the park with out a gun! OH yeh the camp was 30 miles away from any paved roads.

Umm...about that...
Click to view attachment
Might not have the stetson, but I'm still in green

And I own the paddle faster shirt

WoW.. So the National Parks are just like "Crown Land" back home in Canada... No firearms...

Sucks, we have the same critters in our camps back home too.

Drug dealers
Bears
Cougars