Time Is Running Out To Protect Your Right-to-Carry: Comments MUST Be Received By Monday!

One of the most basic rights we as lawful Americans enjoy is the right to defend our families and ourselves.  The right to self-defense should not end simply because one crosses an invisible boundary line and enters a national park or wildlife refuge.

Under current law, if you carry a loaded, operable firearm into any national park, trail or monument, you are violating federal law and may face criminal charges, even if you possess a legally issued permit to carry a concealed handgun in that state. 

Want to see the Grand Tetons or the natural wonders of Yellowstone?  You could end up with a criminal record!  Want to take an autumn ride down Virginia’s Skyline Drive, or take your family for a drive to see the wonder of the Everglades?   You’re in violation.  And you don’t even have to leave your car.  Just turn down a public road!

This is the current, dangerous situation that will continue to exist if you don’t take action right now.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has issued a proposed rule to eliminate, once and for all, this prohibition on Right-to-Carry in national parks and wildlife refuges. NRA is leading the effort to change this policy and we are very close to winning this important battle.

These new rules cannot take effect until after a period of public comment. And make no mistake; our opponents are aggressively ramping up their efforts to try to convince the Secretary of the Interior to reverse his decision.

To combat this effort, you must take a few moments to submit comments on this issue by June 30, 2008, by going to this web site: http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=090000648053d497. 

You may also mail your comments (they, too, must be received not later than June 30, 2008) to:

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

Your comments will have the most impact if you use your own words. To assist you in drafting your comments, keep the following points in mind:

·    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, and;

·    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 

Remember, all comments must be received by June 30.  Submit your comments TODAY!

Please share this information with your family, friends, and fellow firearm owners and encourage them to act on this issue RIGHT AWAY by sending comments of their own!

In the meantime, please make sure you are currently registered to vote.  For information on voter registration, including voter registration applications, click here.  Also, please make sure you are plugged in with your local NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) and his or her grassroots efforts to provide campaign volunteers to candidates who support our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.  To identify and contact your EVC, click here.