Smoky Mountains Information: Your Smokies News: guns

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Guns are still not allowed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park – at least not yet...

Firearms that are loaded have been long banned from the Great Smoky Mountains national park since President Regan signed into law that guns in national parks must be unloaded and inaccessible.

Now thanks to bill just signed into law, over the dismay of most citizens, law enforcement personnel, fraternal order of park rangers and retired rangers, guns will no longer be illegal in the Great Smoky Mountains national park in late February 2010.

Until late February 2010, concealed weapons and loaded firearms of any sort are still illegal in the Great Smoky Mountains national park (GSMNP) and along the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP).

The Department of the Interior now has 9 months to get their act together in order to figure out all of the ramifications of this law especially since the GSMNP and the BRP both have multi-state jurisdiction issues.

To make matters even more interesting, the law depends upon the state law in which the national park and the visitor with a gun is located. Since the Great Smoky Mountains national park is located in Tennessee and North Carolina with the border marked clearly in only 1 place in all 800 square miles, I think the park has their work cut out for them.

Acting Director Dan Wenk made the following statement: "As Interior prepares to implement the new law, the Department will work to understand and interpret its implications for our national parks, with public safety and the safety of our employees as our foremost consideration."

Of course, one can only hope that that a law snuck underhandedly into a credit card reform bill will get struck down as the last one Bush passed did since none of the environmental issues, safety issues and the overwhelming majority of citizens who visit do not want guns to be legal in our national parks has not changed.

Just think, the Great Smoky Mountains national park did not even want bear spray to be legal in the park!

Related New Stories on Guns in National Parks:

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Guns stay out of the Great Smoky Mountains national park but may soon enter TN State parks

The federal Government had until this Monday to appeal the injunction which blocked the possession of loaded firearms in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and other national parks in lower 48 states. The lack of action means that the long standing ban on guns in most national parks is now back in effect. The state of Alaska has some national parks that are excluded from the firearms ban.

While the federal government made its stance on guns in national parks with its recent action (or lack thereof) known, a measure to allow people with state issued handgun permits to carry their firearms into TN state parks regardless of their size or location sponsored by Strawberry Plains Republican Rep. Niceley passed with a 71-22 vote in the Tennessee House.

This is so far there is no date when the on the proposed legislation allowing guns in Tennessee State Parks go to the Senate Judiciary Committee and must pass the Tennessee Senate.

It may not be so easy for this to pass as the agency which operates state parks the Environment and Conservation Department is outspoken against allowing guns into state parks.

Commissioner Jim Fyke of the Environment and Conservation Department has already testified to a House committee that "Besides the fact that we don't think guns belong in state parks or are needed, we don't want people to think that state parks are unsafe".

Commissioner Fyke citing the fact that in the past 3 years there were 100 million visitors to state parks and only 21 reported serious crimes.

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Friday, March 20, 2009

Guns No Longer Allowed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Again.

Concealed, loaded weapons are no longer allowed in any of the nations National Parks since U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kennedy granted a temporary injunction late Thursday restoring rules that ban loaded, concealed firearms in national parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains.

The court ruling stated that the Bush administration failed to follow federal environmental laws and the safety of park visitors and their experience would be compromised by allowing guns into any of our national parks.

As of this January 9th to the dismay of many environmental organizations, law enforcement personnel and both the Association of National Park Rangers and the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees there was a change in law allowing loaded guns into the GSMNP.

I wish to make clear that I own guns and have done so for more than 30 years but I vehemently appose allowing guns into parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Very simply the environment of our national parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains national park does not need armed citizens running around using guns as "protection" against other park visitors or the natural inhabitants.

An argument however can be made that being armed in is some wildlife refuges where there is a dense population of Polar Bear may be of some benefit to visitors. There is no logical need for an across the board allowance of loaded weapons in our nations national parks, wildlife refuges and historical landmarks.

The United States Government has until April 20th to state its "intended course of action" regarding this ruling. If the government is listening to those who work in and around the park and the majority of those who volunteer or visit the park, loaded guns other than those carried by enforcement personnel would never be allowed back into the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

As always I welcome any comments and only delete those that are spam.

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