As you know, the Department of the Interior (DOI) has finally
published a proposed change to the National Park and National Wildlife
Refuge rules.
The question is -- Does this DOI change fairly address either the
concerns expressed in a letter signed by 51 Senators or VCDL's
Petition for Rule Making (PRM)?
-- The letter signed by the 51 Senators states that they support "an
exception...to allow law-abiding citizens to transport and carry
firearms consistent with state law where the National Park Service's
sites and the National Wildlife Refuges are located."
-- The Petition for Rule Making (PRM) submitted by VCDL requested
DOI regulations be modified to "permit citizens to carry operational
handguns for personal protection in National Parks, consistent with
the laws of the state in which the park is located".
Does DOI's proposed change do either of the above? NO!
Instead, the DOI change is nothing more than a token effort to appease
both a majority of the United States Senate and over a million gun
owners while still retaining their "if you have a loaded firearm,
you're a poacher" attitude.
So, VCDL is asking you to do the following:
Respond to the DOI's request for input to its proposed rule by
politely urging them to assimilate state firearms laws for ALL law-
abiding gun owners where the National Park Service's sites and the
National Wildlife Refuges are located.
To send in your comments to the DOI, click here:
http://tinyurl.com/5juwn3
Copy and paste the following text into the "General Comments" box and
then "Next Step" at the bottom to continue.
Suggested "General Comments" text:
--
The proposed rule falls far short of what Senator Crapo's letter to
DOI on December 14th, 2007 requested. The letter, signed by 51
Senators, asked that National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges
assimilate the host state's gun laws.
The rule also falls far short of the Virginia Citizens Defense
League's Petition for Rule Making sent to DOI and dated January 19,
2008. Like Senator Crapo's letter, the Petition, representing over
one million gun owners, requested that the gun laws for the host state
be assimilated.
The proposed rule needs to assimilate state law in a similar manner as
National Forests do for the lawful carry of weapons for self-defense.
That would make the rules for such carriage of self-defense weapons in
National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges and National Forests the
same and consistent with the laws of the state surrounding the parks
and refuges.
Please change the wording of the rules as follows, which would make
the regulation of carry commensurate with standards of the host state,
while removing the nebulous and confusing wording about "similar
lands." Existing poaching laws will serve to deter poaching in
National Parks and Wildlife Refuges, just as they do on state land:
"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."
And for National Wildlife Refuges:
"A person may possess, carry, and transport loaded, and operable
firearms or other weapons within a national wildlife refuge 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 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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