Winchester 73
member
Now there would be a few caveats:Off limits areas,no open carry,state rules,etc.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/599831.html
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Interior secretary proposes end to ban on guns in national parks
By ROB HOTAKAINEN
The Star’s Washington correspondent
WASHINGTON | Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne formally proposed Wednesday to scrap a longtime ban against bringing loaded weapons into national parks and wildlife areas.
He said this would begin a 60-day public comment period on the proposed update to the nation’s gun regulations.
Under the plan, a person could carry a concealed weapon in national parks and wildlife refuges if authorized to do so on similar state lands in the state where the national park or refuge is located.
“The safety and protection of park and refuge visitors remains a top priority for the Department of the Interior,” said Kempthorne. “The proposed regulations will incorporate current state laws authorizing the possession of concealed firearms, while continuing to maintain important provisions to ensure visitor safety and resource protection.”
The law would have limited effect in Missouri or Kansas, though it would appear to make it legal to carry a concealed weapon into the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Guns are already allowed in the Mark Twain National Forest and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways — both in Missouri — as hunting is allowed.
Park law enforcement had expressed concern over the prospect of handguns and assault weapons.
Northland attorney and gun-rights advocate Kevin Jamison said lifting the ban would make Kansas Citians safer when they visit national parks.
“Things happen, and in the isolation of a national park, it can be important to be able to defend yourself,” he said. “People are already legally carrying inside state parks.”
Opponents note there is no data to support the idea that park visitors will be safer. National parks are among the safest places in the county, they note. The probability of becoming a victim of violent crime in a national park is about 1 in 708,000, meaning less likely than being struck by lightning.
Still, the announcement wasn’t unexpected. Under pressure from Congress, the Department of the Interior said in February that it would review the ban and make a recommendation by the end of April. As a result, many proponents of the ban feared that the administration was getting ready to lift it.
Several National Park Service employee advocacy groups and the National Parks Conservation Association said the proposed change would lead to confusion for visitors, rangers and other law enforcement agencies.
“This is purely and simply a politically-driven effort to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. There are no existing data that suggest any public interest to be gained by allowing visitors to parks to possess concealed handguns,” said Bill Wade, chairman of The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. “This proposed regulation increases the risk to visitors, employees and wildlife rather than reducing it.”
The department said the current regulations were adopted in 1981, but that many states have enacted new firearm policies since then. Currently, 48 states allow the lawful possession of concealed weapons.
“We strongly endorse the principle that states have the prerogative to develop appropriate policies and standards in this area, and believe that our management of parks and refuges should defer to those state laws,” said Assistant Interior Secretary Lyle Laverty.
The department said that after 60 days, it would evaluate all public comments before issuing a final rule.
http://www.firearmscoalition.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=222&Itemid=29
http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/599831.html
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Interior secretary proposes end to ban on guns in national parks
By ROB HOTAKAINEN
The Star’s Washington correspondent
WASHINGTON | Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne formally proposed Wednesday to scrap a longtime ban against bringing loaded weapons into national parks and wildlife areas.
He said this would begin a 60-day public comment period on the proposed update to the nation’s gun regulations.
Under the plan, a person could carry a concealed weapon in national parks and wildlife refuges if authorized to do so on similar state lands in the state where the national park or refuge is located.
“The safety and protection of park and refuge visitors remains a top priority for the Department of the Interior,” said Kempthorne. “The proposed regulations will incorporate current state laws authorizing the possession of concealed firearms, while continuing to maintain important provisions to ensure visitor safety and resource protection.”
The law would have limited effect in Missouri or Kansas, though it would appear to make it legal to carry a concealed weapon into the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Guns are already allowed in the Mark Twain National Forest and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways — both in Missouri — as hunting is allowed.
Park law enforcement had expressed concern over the prospect of handguns and assault weapons.
Northland attorney and gun-rights advocate Kevin Jamison said lifting the ban would make Kansas Citians safer when they visit national parks.
“Things happen, and in the isolation of a national park, it can be important to be able to defend yourself,” he said. “People are already legally carrying inside state parks.”
Opponents note there is no data to support the idea that park visitors will be safer. National parks are among the safest places in the county, they note. The probability of becoming a victim of violent crime in a national park is about 1 in 708,000, meaning less likely than being struck by lightning.
Still, the announcement wasn’t unexpected. Under pressure from Congress, the Department of the Interior said in February that it would review the ban and make a recommendation by the end of April. As a result, many proponents of the ban feared that the administration was getting ready to lift it.
Several National Park Service employee advocacy groups and the National Parks Conservation Association said the proposed change would lead to confusion for visitors, rangers and other law enforcement agencies.
“This is purely and simply a politically-driven effort to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. There are no existing data that suggest any public interest to be gained by allowing visitors to parks to possess concealed handguns,” said Bill Wade, chairman of The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. “This proposed regulation increases the risk to visitors, employees and wildlife rather than reducing it.”
The department said the current regulations were adopted in 1981, but that many states have enacted new firearm policies since then. Currently, 48 states allow the lawful possession of concealed weapons.
“We strongly endorse the principle that states have the prerogative to develop appropriate policies and standards in this area, and believe that our management of parks and refuges should defer to those state laws,” said Assistant Interior Secretary Lyle Laverty.
The department said that after 60 days, it would evaluate all public comments before issuing a final rule.
http://www.firearmscoalition.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=222&Itemid=29
Last edited:
)OC is going to follow in the near future.
