"If
you can carry (a gun) on Main Street, you are allowed to
carry in a national park," said Chris Paolino. a
spokesman for the Interior Department.
The
Interior Department rule overturns a Reagan-era regulation
that has restricted loaded guns in parks and wildlife
refuges. The previous regulation required that firearms be
unloaded and placed somewhere that is not easily
accessible, such as in a car trunk.
Assistant
Interior Secretary Lyle Laverty said the new rule respects
a long tradition of states and the federal government
working together on natural resource issues.
The
regulation allows individuals to carry concealed firearms
in federal parks and wildlife refuges to the same extent
they can lawfully do so under state law, Laverty said,
adding that the approach is in line with rules adopted by
the federal Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest
Service. Those agencies let visitors carry weapons
consistent with applicable federal and state laws.
The
National Rifle Association hailed the rule change, which
will take effect next month before President-elect Barack
Obama takes office.
"We
are pleased that the Interior Department recognizes the
right of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and
their families while enjoying America's national parks and
wildlife refuges," said Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief
lobbyist.
The
rule will restore the rights of law-abiding gun owners on
federal lands and make federal law consistent with the
state where the lands are located, Cox said. The NRA led
efforts to change gun regulations they called inconsistent
and unclear.
A
group representing park rangers, retirees and conservation
organizations said the rule change will lead to confusion
for visitors, rangers and other law enforcement agencies.
"Once
again, political leaders in the Bush administration have
ignored the preferences of the American public by
succumbing to political pressure, in this case generated
by the National Rifle Association," said Bill Wade,
president of the Coalition of National Park Service
Retirees.
"This
regulation will put visitors, employees and precious
resources of the National Park System at risk. We will do
everything possible to overturn it and return to a
commonsense approach to guns in national parks that has
been working for decades," Wade said.
The
park rule will be published in the Federal Register early
next week and take effect 30 days later, well before Obama
takes office Jan. 20. Overturning the rule could take
months or even years, since it would require the new
administration to restart the lengthy rule-making process.
Nick
Shapiro, a spokesman for President-elect Barack Obama's
transition team, said no decision had been made on the gun
rule.
"President-elect
Obama will review all eleventh-hour regulations and will
address them once he is president," he said.
Sen.
Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, hailed the new rule. Crapo and Sen.
Max Baucus, D-Mont., had organized letters to Interior
Secretary Dirk Kempthorne complaining about the gun
restrictions. The letters were signed by half the Senate -
41 Republicans and nine Democrats.
"I
congratulate Secretary Kempthorne for taking this stand.
The rule as it has come out is what we asked for with
regard to handguns," Crapo said. "It's a very,
very significant improvement."
Crapo
called the current rule confusing and complex and said it
"literally resulted in different standards as you
traveled through the same state."
But
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said the new rule was a
mistake.
"The
Reagan-era rules have stood the test of time and make our
national parks safe for all who visit them,"
Feinstein said. "The Bush administration changes will
make our national parks more dangerous and will upset the
delicate balance that exists between park visitors and
wildlife."
Interior
spokesman Paolino said the rule would not affect a ban on
guns in federal buildings. Guns will still be prohibited
in national icons such as Independence Hall and the Statue
of Liberty, he said. Guns also will be banned in visitor
centers and other buildings at national parks.
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