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Interior Officials Want to Allow Concealed Carry in the National Parks

Apr 30th - 14:42pm | John Steadham

One carries a gun in a park for the same reason one carries it anywhere else . To protect yourself and loved ones. not just to kill something.......DUH

Apr 30th - 12:59pm | RonC

Eric, I will! It will be Olympic National Park this summer (err if the snow ever melts!). What an awesome place. I actually saw a black bear two years ago. I was disapointed in the picture (I prefer shooting wildlife with a camera for sure.) But he was just too far away.

Apr 30th - 12:48pm | Eric

Thanks RonC, It will be interesting to see how all of this unfolds, above all have fun and enjoy the wonders of our beautiful National Parks as I will continue to do no matter what happens!

Apr 30th - 12:48pm | RonC

Here is the original petition.... http://www.vcdl.org/pdf/VCDLPRM_010408.pdf

Apr 30th - 12:38pm | RonC

Eric, I was not trying to ge personal. My attempt at a little humor I guess did not come across well and for that I apologize (You have heard that bear joke right?).

Apr 30th - 12:09pm | Eric

RonC, Why get personal? I don't have an 8 year old daughter, I do have one on the way and I would not take her where I was, An 8 year old probably would not be able to. The picnic table remark was from another persons post, I used as an exagerated example. why am I curious about you carrying in a NP?

Apr 30th - 12:03pm | Anonymous

Bear spray says it all! If you miss your shot buddy with a hand gun against a full charging bear...you're mince-meat! At least with bear spray you don't shoot your buddy by mistake in a panic attack.

Apr 30th - 11:34am | RonC

Hey NoGunsInParks, I carry bear spray!

Apr 30th - 11:28am | NoGunsInParks

From the Brady Campaign web site:

Apr 30th - 11:05am | RonC

Eric, Well it is your choice to not carry. Good for you. I desire to carry, good for me. I think I implied strongly in my earlier post that I do not carry when it is illegal. I only carry when it is lawful.

Apr 30th - 10:28am | Eric

I have yet to hear a good reason to carry fire arm in a NP. As for being fearful, I for one am not, I don't have a reason to carry a fire arm in the NP's. It seems the ones who feel they have to carry a fire arm are the ones who are fearful. As for how many people have carried fire arms illegaly into NP's who knows? RonC, Have you illegaly carried a fire arm into a NP?

Apr 30th - 09:49am | RonC

Anon, First drinking and carrying concealed is another no-no. If you carry , you cannot drink. Although I do not know every state law, you can be certain that law is on every state book. A CCW holder WILL lose his permit and go to jail.

Apr 30th - 09:22am | Eric

Mike M. , No one? I beg to differ. I was standing in line at a Longs drug Store just 2 days ago and what do I hear from the (for lack of better words) IDIOT in front of me? "Ya, its cool to be able to carry a gun, we used to go back in the hills here and shoot birds and squirrels." He then showed the clerk his permit and flashed his waist with his gun.

Apr 30th - 07:25am | Anonymous

Anon - I totally see your point of view and understand your concerns about bears and other humans, but bear with me here... *In many of the eastern parks, such as Congaree or Acadia, the chances of you running across any animal that will attack is slim to none, so in some park units, that argument is pretty much invalid.

Apr 30th - 01:00am | Anonymous

With all due respect, as a CCW holder, I welcome the regulations. You seem to be afraid of the possibility of somebody using their gun to settle an argument. Frankly, to get a CCW permit you have to go through a background check. These are not just some willy-nilly morons carrying guns. Problems with CCW holders are few and far between.

Apr 29th - 22:15pm | Lone Hiker

No, people aren't equating firearms and a segment of American history. People are correlating questionable judgment by those who think "firearms first" as a defense against whatever it is you think you're defending yourself against. I haven't seen one item in any of these threads that questions the "preparations" gun owners say are so rigorous to obtain permits.

Apr 29th - 21:23pm | fhasti

Ok Mr M, lets put you on the hotseat for once, since you think we're all over-reacting once again. Lets ask you a simple question. Do you think there are going to be people who don't give a damn about wether or not you have to have a concealed weapons permit to carry a gun and bring them into the park? YES there will be. So your argument is one sided of course.

Apr 29th - 20:53pm | Rick Smith

This is as bad as it gets. There is zero reason to carry a concealed weapon in a park. And the argument that it clears up confusion is ludicrous. It creates more. This is an idea that as the Coalition of NPS Retrees says deserves to be shot down. Rick Smith

Apr 29th - 18:49pm | Anonymous

Appalling! But then, everything that this administration has done in its eight years of ruinous misery is consistent with this insanity. The true responsibility for this lies not with Bush, Cheney, or the NRA, but with the American public for electing, then re-electing these lunatics, and then not having the backbone or ethics to impeach them. Is this really a surprise?

Apr 29th - 18:45pm | Mike M.

Once again people think guns and the Wild West. The people that have a concealed carry permit have higher standards than that. They have had training on the use of a firearm and the consequences of its inappropriate use. And besides, how many times have you heard of someone that has a permit using a firearm illegally. Yea that's what I thought, NONE

Apr 29th - 17:58pm | Dave C.

Are these politicians idiots? This doesnt even make sense! What in the world do we need to carry guns for in a National Park? The world is coming to an end.

Apr 29th - 15:09pm | Lone Hiker

For this, someone can find enough time away from truly important issues to assist special interests in an election stunt. Speaks loudly and succinctly about who’s the puppeteer and who’s the marionette in this debate.

Senators' Letter to Open National Parks to Concealed Weapons

Apr 30th - 14:07pm | Anonymous

My wife and I have camped at Acadia National Park in Maine, 12 of the past 15 years. We have never encountered a "derelict" nor any other campers strolling about, packing their weapons. Both facts make us feel happy and secure. Packing a weapon is a sign of insecurity. Think about it.

Charismatic Marine Fauna

Apr 30th - 08:59am | Bob Janiskee

It's so sad that the coral reefs providing vital habitat for this gorgeous fish and a host of other marine species are being destroyed or degraded all over the world at an alarming rate. The reef losses have reached critical levels in many areas, leaving us to wonder if some of the affected species may soon be wiped out completely.

Apr 29th - 08:30am | Kurt Repanshek

After the winter we've had, you bet the South Seas sound wonderful! Kurt

Apr 29th - 07:25am | Anonymous

Is it just me, or is there a sudden urge by NPT editors/writers/readers to voyage to the South Pacific, thanks to recent NPAS coverage?! :) There's another great picture at http://www.nps.gov/pwr/pgallerycontent/p/l/20060706133325.jpg The water isn't as clear, though.

National Parks Traveler Launches User Forums

Apr 30th - 08:57am | Rick Smith

Kurt--

Congressman Introduces Legislation To Double The Size of Big Thicket National Preserve

Apr 30th - 07:19am | Anonymous

WOOO! Thanks to Mr. Brady for his leadership. BITH is certainly a special place, and unique in the park system.

Bison, Elk and Bears Might Be Cute, But These Videos and Statistics From National Parks Suggest Caution

Apr 29th - 13:07pm | jsmacdonald

So true, Dorothy, if only that could compete with the lack of respect the National Park Service has shown these animals - specifically the bison - every winter and spring. Sigh.

Apr 29th - 06:15am | Dorothy

We have visited many national parks and we have been amazed at the lack of respect some people have for the parks and the wildlife. These videos should be mandatory upon entry for those who have little or no experience sharing the outdoors with wildlife. As a seasoned hiker, I am glad to have seen the videos as a reminder of how quickly a situation can change.

Traveler's Top 10 Picks For Movies Involving National Parks

Apr 29th - 12:17pm | CivilWarBuff

That's a GOOD one, Bob!

Apr 28th - 18:31pm | Anonymous

Thanks for your comments. The book is authored by Marguerite Henry, and I have read it. She has written other wonderful children's books, such as King of the Wind, for one. I was so excited because I found the movie on Netflix and soon it will be sent to me from Salt Lake City! I'm glad this discussion came up because it reminded me of a movie I wanted to see again.

Groups Sue To Overturn Removal of Greater Yellowstone Wolves from Endangered Species List

Apr 29th - 11:48am | Random Walker

Sport hunting, to kill an animal for pleasure be it a shark, bear or wolf is wrong. What Mr. Repanshek did not tell you is that B160 was shot once through the femur and once through the stomach and left to rot. The famous Hoppy was killed at an elk feed lot in Sublet county Wyoming. The majority of the 40 or so killings I have read about have not been hunting,

Apr 28th - 21:47pm | Anonymous

It's all about the White House cowboys that own peacock ranches in Montana. Fat bellies, booze and guns!

Apr 28th - 21:40pm | Anonymous

Aldo Leopold once wrote many long years ago about the kill of an old wolf which he committed as a forest ranger in the American Southwest. As he describes and remembering "a fierce green fire" in the eyes of dying wolf and her crippled pup. Something that burned in his psyche for years to come. In Mr.

Apr 28th - 21:15pm | fhasti

Once again the state of MT shows that there is only one thing on their mind....big $$ and they'll take it however they can get it at the expense of their wildlife. 40 wolves dead already in one month....they didn't waste any time. They take pride in attracting big bucks from all over the country to shoot bison, elk, and now wolves (just like AK does and makes lots of dough on the hunts too).

Apr 28th - 18:40pm | Bob Janiskee

I am an ethical hunter who believes in the rules of fair chase, so it truly pains me that Mr. Saunders got his picture in the paper for doing what no true sportsman would ever do. What in the bloody blue blazes do they mean when they say that Saunders "stalked" that wolf? Using a snowmobile or plane to chase a wolf to the point of utter exhaustion is not stalking. It is not even hunting.

Apr 28th - 18:21pm | katrina

When will the government (of the people) not fall prey to special interest groups who convince it that it's necessary to slaughter wild bison and now the gray wolves? In the case of the wolves, have the lessons of the 30's been so forgotten?

Apr 28th - 16:21pm | Random Walker

"Whenever I see a photograph of some sportsman grinning over his kill, I am always impressed by the striking moral and aesthetic superiority of the dead animal to the live one." ~Edward Abbey~

Apr 28th - 15:36pm | Donna

Man kills everything .....we will have nothing left for our Grandkids to see....run wild.

Creature Feature: the Many-Colored Fruit Dove

Apr 29th - 07:59am | Rob

Nice article and well written. Thanks.

Apr 28th - 18:19pm | Joesf

Chance, Nice story on an interesting bird. I enjoyed it! Thanks, Joe

Proposed Settlement Filed in Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV Case

Apr 29th - 06:19am | Clanton

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) is a very different National Park. The problems are bigger and more complex than off-highway vehicle (OHV)/fishing organizations access and environmental organizations concerns with resource management, although that is currently taking the spotlight.

Are Blue Ridge Parkway's Historic Guardrails At Risk?

Apr 28th - 21:40pm | Bob

"The Blue Ridge Parkway is a cultural resource park, whereas GRSM and SHEN are mostly natural resource parks, and since the parkway is our primary resource, we look very closely at proposed changes to it. We want to maintain the original design of the Blue Ridge Parkway," Mr. Johnson said...

Flying Squirrels, Scenic Vistas, and the Blue Ridge Parkway

Apr 28th - 12:54pm | Houck M. Medford

Additional comments have been posted on the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation's Executive Director Web Log http://www.blueridgeparkwayblog.com/foundation-executive-director/genera...

Creature Feature: Hellbenders

Apr 28th - 10:20am | Bob Janiskee

In southern Missouri, the scientists and others fighting to protect the Ozark hellbender are not just battling against habitat loss, water pollution, and overcollection.

National Parks Week: Perfect Time to Assess the "State of the Parks"

Apr 28th - 07:42am | Anonymous

True, NPS is having problems across the system, and the Centennial Challenge probably does amount to not much more than election-year, feel-good politics. That being said, though, at least it's better than nothing :)

Apr 27th - 13:56pm | Rick Smith

It really is discouraging to read all the happy talk coming from the NPS leadership about the wonders of the Centennial Challenge and how much good it is going to do for parks. Most park managers I know are in despair because so little attention is being paid to operational deficiencies, the kind that gnaw away at the basic core of our parks.

GYC Explains Value of Latest Agreement for Yellowstone National Park Bison

Apr 27th - 20:06pm | fhasti

Amen "be". Any group and any individual (including myself) who considers themselves to be even remotely concerned all the way to absolutely ticked off about this issue should make as much noise as possible about this absurd situation and great example of greed and extortion by CUT.

Snared Wolves At Denali National Park and Preserve Cast Ugly Shadow on Trappers

Apr 27th - 19:48pm | katrina

Why are we trapping wolves? Aren't supposed to be allowing them to breed and have them provide a natural balance in nature?

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