National Parks are not State Parks!

[brboyer]

In this case states didn't pass any laws saying you can carry on federal property, the Federal government says they will mirror the state law of carry "in general" elsewhere in the state.

Correct, because they have no jurisdiction to do so. Same as they have no jurisdiction to prohibit it either.

 

[brboyer]

brboyer,

Then exactly how do you explain this phrase in the new Federal law?



You say a state can't regulate possession of firearms in a National Park, and CLEARLY the Federal statute DOES give them that ability.

And we have this official explanation as well:

It merely means that if the state permits one to carry a firearm (caliber limitations, capacity restrictions, holster requirements, open, concealed, etc.) you may carry in the park. Many states allow open carry, many do not. If your state allows it, you can open carry in the NP. But, your state cannot make it unlawful, say, to carry an M4 in a NP if it is lawful elsewhere in the state. They simply have no authority/jurisdiction to do so.

Example. Florida laws allow open carry if one is fishing, camping or hunting. They do not however have the jurisdiction to prohibit open carry in the Everglades NP, if you are fishing/camping - I'm not aware of any NPs that allow hunting....

 

[AlaskaMan]

There are several National Parks that allow hunting, it just has to be done in accordance with both federal and state law...an activtity that the state regulates on federal land.

Great Basin National Park Utah
Death Valley National Park Nevada and California
Wrangell St. Elias National Park (the largest National Park in the United States)

just to name a few

But there are lots that don't, like Yellowstone, Yosemite and Glacier.

Once again, it goes to the enabling legislation that created the park. You can graze sheep in Great Basin National Park , but not in Rocky Mountain National Park.

If any state wants to prohibit the carry of a weapon in a specific area, they can. As long as it passes the state judicial review, it would be legal. They can prohibit it in specific buildings, school zones and parking areas of domestic violence shelters. What makes you think they could not add "Everglades National Park" to that list. It is not the Feds doing it, it's the state.

By the way, check with the folks who live in the national parks, like Everglades. You'll find they have state driver's licenses, their cars are registered in the state, and they pay state income tax. All activity conducted on federal property regulated by the state.

 

[Southwest Chuck]

Posted by Alaskaman :

There are several National Parks that allow hunting, it just has to be done in accordance with both federal and state law...an activtity that the state regulates on federal land.


Great Basin National Park Utah
Death Valley National Park Nevada and California
Wrangell St. Elias National Park (the largest National Park in the United States)

just to name a few

Alaskaman, are you sure about hunting in Death Valley NP? I go out there several times a year and thought that hunting was prohibited in this Park. Do you have any sources I can confirm this and get more info?
Thanks
SC

Anyway this is my first post here and a hearty "Hey There" to all.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Doesn't seem to be any hunting there. From their website:

Hunting and use of weapons in the park is illegal.
As of February 22, 2010, a new federal law allows people who can legally possess firearms under applicable federal, state, and local laws, to legally possess firearms in this park.

Does add this:

Transporting of lawfully taken wildlife from adjacent land through the park is allowed under the following limitations:

 

[Southwest Chuck]

Thanks T.R. ......That's what I thought. You can hunt in the surrounding BLM lands there, but not in the park itself unless AlaskaMan knows something we don't !

 

[TexasRifleman]

You can hunt in the surrounding BLM lands there, but not in the park itself unless AlaskaMan knows something we don't !

I am guessing it's the land surrounding it. From what I read it seems pretty common for hunters to traverse the actual park land with game they shot on the adjacent land.

I dunno, never been there, this thread just made me curious.

 

[AlaskaMan]

You all were right about the 2 of the parks on the list, Death Valley and Great Basin. I was wrong. Though the National Parks up here do allow hunting, sometimes I forget that no everyone can take part in it.

Most of the National Parks up here have provisions as a result of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Hunting by qualified subsistence users is allowed in Wrangell St Elias, Denali, Lake Clark and Gates of the Arctic for example. The acreage on these 4 parks alone is nearly equal to all the National Parks in the lower 48. Wrangell alone is nearly 20,000 square miles (yes, that's square MILES).

National Recreation areas do allow hunting, and many of these are administered by National Park Service too. Glen Canyon in Utah and Arizona, Chickasaw NRA in Oklahoma, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in Minnesota, Big South Fork NRA in Kentucky and Tennesee, Currecanti NRA in Colorado, Amistad NRA in Texas, and Bighorn Canyon in Montana and Wyoming are some of the National Park Units that allow hunting in accordance with state law.

My apologies about the mistake. I'll do a little better fact checking before I hit the keyboard.