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In Shenandoah National Park, black bears are illegally hunted for their gallbladders for sale in illegal markets. Allowing loaded guns in parks could make the problem much worse. Fact Sheet Guns in the Parks Proposed Rule General Regulations for Areas Administered by the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service Press Releases National Parks Conservation Association Says Comment Period Closes with a Bang 08/08/08 National Parks Conservation Association Troubled to Learn of Potential NRA Infiltration of Campaign to Protect National Parks 07/31/08 Gun Regulation in National Parks: Public Comment Period Extended to August 8 07/09/08 Teleconference Keep Parks Safe 02/25/08

Keep Parks Safe:
Say No To Loaded Guns in Our National Parks

This is one of the most serious matters NPCA has brought to your attention in a long time. The National Rifle Association (NRA) has been pushing hard to allow loaded guns in America's national parks. Under intense political pressure orchestrated by the NRA, the Bush Administration recently proposed new regulations that would allow visitors to carry loaded, concealed firearms in national parks if the state where a national park unit is located permits people to carry concealed firearms in their state parks. Mandating that national park units abide by state park gun laws will be confusing to both visitors and park rangers and would force the creation of a new, complex (and costly) gun bureaucracy.

The NRA is trying to fix a problem that does not exist. Under the current firearm safety and uniformity regulations it is NOT UNLAWFUL to have firearms in national parks; they just have to be unloaded and safely stowed. It is a limited and reasonable requirement that enables rangers to do the job of protecting park resources and ensuring visitor safety. The current regulations, which were updated in 1983 under the Reagan Administration, have been successful at maintaining our national parks as safe family destinations. If fact, statistics show that the probability of becoming a victim of a violent crime in a national park is 1 in 708,333, which is less likely than being struck by lightening during one’s lifetime.

The comment period to allow loaded guns in national parks closed on August 8, 2008. Thanks to you, NPCA delivered nearly 30,000 letters to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in opposition to opening up the regulations. We have had tremendous success so far with this campaign- but it is far from over. We’ll be sure to update you on any developments as the campaign continues.

More Information

• Chairman Akaka's and Chairman Grijalva's Letter to Secretary Kempthorne requesting an extension to the comment period, June 2008 (PDF)
• NPCA letter to Kempthorne on Heller Case, April 2008 (PDF)
• Former Directors of the National Park Service Letter to Secretary Kempthorne, April 2008 (PDF)
• Coalition of National Park Service Retirees Letter to Assistant Secretary Laverty, March 2008 (PDF)
• Ranger Groups Letter to Senate, February 2008 (PDF)
• Ranger Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police letter to Secretary Kempthorne, January 2008 (PDF)
• Senators letter to Secretary Kempthorne, February 2008 (PDF)
• Secretary Kempthorne Letter to Senators, February 2008 (PDF)
• NPCA letter to Secretary Kempthorne, January 2008 (PDF)
• Senators letter to Secretary Kempthorne, December 2007 (PDF)
• Park Service Letter Supporting Current Regulations Sent to Rep. Rahall, November 2007 (PDF)
• Park Service Letter Supporting Current Regulations Sent to Virginia Citizens Defense League, January 2007 (PDF)

In the News

• Read the MSNBC Story: "Showdown over packing heat in national parks" (July 24, 2008)
• Read the Bloomberg.com Story: "National Park Officials Oppose Relaxing Gun Ban, E-Mails Show" (July 3, 2008)
• Read the New York Times Story: "Rule Change Would Permit Weapons in National Parks" (May 30, 2008) 
• Read the MSNBC Story: "Proposal would ease gun ban in national parks" (April 30, 2008)

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