As we reported last week, the U.S. Department of the Interior has issued a proposed rule to eliminate the prohibition on Right-to-Carry in national parks and wildlife refuges. The National Rifle Association led the effort to change this policy and we are very close to winning this important battle. 

However, the new rules cannot take effect until after a period of public comment. Our opponents will take advantage of this time to try to convince the Secretary of the Interior to reverse his decision.  NRA members must take action now so that the anti-gunners are not allowed to sway this process. 

It is always best to write in your own words. Here are some talking points to assist you:

• Rules on carrying and transporting firearms should be consistent—across the board—with the laws of the state that includes the national park or wildlife refuge

• Law-abiding citizens should not be prohibited from protecting themselves and their families while enjoying America's national parks and wildlife refuges

• The new rules should provide uniformity across all federal lands, eliminating the patchwork of laws that create confusion for gun owners

• Current regulations fail to account for the significant change in state laws since 1984.  48 states now have laws that permit laws that permit carrying and 40 have strong Right-to-Carry laws.  Federal regulations should recognize the change in state laws and follow their lead

• The new regulations should restore the rights of law-abiding gun owners who wish to transport and carry firearms for all lawful purposes on most DOI lands, just as they do now on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands 

It is critical that gun owners and sportsmen submit comments during this process. 

Comments can submitted online by going to this web site: http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=090000648053d497 

Comments can also be mailed to the following address: 

Public Comments Processing
Attn: 1024-AD70
Division of Policy and Directives Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222
Arlington, VA 22203