In Our National Parks Take Effect Today
In early December, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), through the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced the final amended version of a change to rules on carrying firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. The change will restore the right of law-abiding gun owners to transport and carry concealed firearms for lawful purposes on most DOI lands, according to the laws of the states in which these public lands are located.
The new rule, which takes effect today, allows Right-to-Carry permit holders to carry concealed firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges in states that recognize their permits. The new rule will also put an end to the patchwork of regulations that governed different lands managed by different federal agencies. In the past, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands allowed the carrying of firearms, while lands managed by DOI did not.
The Second Amendment Book Bomb Hits #1 in Law, #12 in History, #24 in Nonfiction at Amazon.com! On America’s Bill of Rights Day (December 15), the Second Amendment Book Bomb was launched by the Independent Institute to communicate the importance of the Bill of Rights’ Second Amendment for the protection of liberty. With your help, constitutional rights can be pushed to the top of national book bestseller lists, making a loud and clear statement that the Second Amendment right to arms is unalienable!
U.S Forest Service Considering Use of Motorized Vehicles to Retrieve Game in the Kaibab National Forrest! The U.S. Forest Service has released a Travel Management Project (TMP) for the Tusayan Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest. Three management alternatives for motorized use of roads and trails are presented, including the use of motorized vehicles to retrieve game.
Elk Management Plan for Theodore Roosevelt National Park Released for Public Comment! Until recently, the National Park Service has used park staff or contract sharpshooters to reduce populations of elk and deer within national parks to achieve herd levels that the habitat can support. As a result of NRA's advocacy for the use of hunters to assist in such operations, the Service is now obligated to consider the use of “skilled volunteers” (e.g. hunters).
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Grassroots Minute Video: To view the most recent “Grassroots Minute” video, please click here: http://blip.tv/file/1653499
STATE ROUNDUP (please click to see any updates on states not listed below.)
ATTENTION HUNTERS: Please Attend Safari Club International’s Wildlife Law Seminar on Saturday, January 24! For those who are planning to attend Safari Club International's Annual Convention in Reno, Nevada, at the end of this month, please be advised of a seminar that will be given on Saturday, January 24. Entitled, "Wildlife Law: Issues and Controversies Regarding Wildlife Management and Use," this seminar should be of particular relevance to hunters who are interested in the laws affecting the shipment of firearms and trophies across state and international borders, as well as those interested in current issues affecting the management of wildlife. The seminar will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., on Saturday, January 24, at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, located at 3800 S. Virginia Street, in Reno. Admittance is $129, which includes the seminar, written materials, and single, same day admission to SCI Hunter’s Convention. Registration will close on Monday, January 12. For more information and to complete a registration form, please click here. To learn about SCI membership and their convention, please visit www.safariclub.com.
ARIZONA: U.S Forest Service Considering Use of Motorized Vehicles to Retrieve Game in the Kaibab National Forrest! The U.S. Forest Service has released a Travel Management Project (TMP) for the Tusayan Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest. Three management alternatives for motorized use of roads and trails are presented, including the use of motorized vehicles to retrieve game. Alternative 1 is the No Action alternative. It would allow the use of any type of motorized vehicle to retrieve legally harvested big game. The No Action alternative is what is allowed currently. Alternative 2, the Service's recommended management plan, would allow cross-country motorized big game retrieval for elk during all elk seasons. Hunters would be allowed to take one vehicle up to one mile cross-country from a designated road to retrieve their legally harvested elk. Alternative 3 is the same for motorized big game retrieval as Alternative 2. Public comments are being accepted until Friday, January 30 and need to be addressed to: Forest Supervisor, Kaibab National Forest, 800 S. Sixth Street, Williams, AZ 86046 or emailed to: [email protected]. For further information, please call (928) 635-8200. The TMP is available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai. Two public meetings are scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13 at the Coconino Community College, Lone Tree Campass, at 2800 S. Lone Tree Rd., Flagstaff and Thursday, January 15 at the Tusayan Ranger District Office, located at 100 Lincoln Log Loop (off Highway 64 south of the Grand Canyon National Park entrance, Grand Canyon (Tusayan). It is important for hunters, whether or not they have hunted in the Tusayan Ranger District, to provide comment on the TMP. Roads and trails are being restricted for motorized use by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, which means that hunters' use of vehicles to retrieve game can be severely restricted or eliminated. NRA is actively involved in ensuring that motorized use restrictions do not restrict hunters' access to federal public lands. We need your help in providing comments to these federal agencies when TMP’s are released for public comment, such as the Tusayan TMP.
COLORADO: Elbert County Stands-Up for Boy Scouts of America Shooting Center! On Tuesday, January 6 the Elbert County Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 to finally grant the Boy Scouts of America their Special Use Permit. This permit will now allow them to relocate the shooting range located at Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch, preserving the continuing education of the safe use of rifles, shotguns, handguns, and muzzleloaders. The Boy Scouts had applied for a Special Use Permit from Elbert County to relocate the shooting range facility, “The Travis Facility,” further into the interior of Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch. After having conducted extensive and costly testing to ensure that the new site followed all noise, lead, and environmental laws, the new site was chosen to accommodate the few anti-gun neighbors who had filed complaints. Due to these few anti-gun property owners who live near Peaceful Valley, the County had unfairly delayed approving the Boy Scouts permit request. This delay had been putting the 2009 shooting programs at risk of being canceled. Most importantly, without the Travis Facility, the Boy Scout community would have lost an essential firearms safety-training venue and put an end to one of the nations most highly recognized firearms education programs. Thank you to all who attended the meeting and voiced their support for the Boy Scouts of America who have, and will attend this valuable and important facility.
CONNECTICUT: 2009 Legislative Session Begins The Connecticut State Legislature reconvened in Hartford this week for the 2009 Legislative Session, with members of the House electing a new Speaker, State Representative Christopher G. Donovan (D-84). We will keep you alerted as to when firearm-related legislation is introduced. Please continue to check www.NRAILA.org and your e-mail for updates throughout the legislative session.
MARYLAND: Maryland’s Rich Hunting Tradition Under Fire in Howard County! On Wednesday, January 21 members of the Howard County Council will meet to discuss CB1-2009; new hunting regulations that will effectively ban all firearm and muzzleloader hunting within Howard County. The measure would double to 300 yards the minimum distance for shooting near a building. The minimum remains 150 yards for those at least 10 feet off the ground in a stand and shooting downward. The state statutory minimum for all hunting is 150 yards. In addition, shooting within 100 yards of a public road is prohibited. These two provisions together will prohibit many forms of hunting on thousands of acres of traditional hunting lands throughout the county. Incredibly, the measure would also make it unlawful for a hunter to shoot in the direction of a building or camp if the distance to the building or camp is within the “maximum range” of the firearm or muzzleloader (arguably up to two miles for standard hunting loads depending on who’s doing the math). This radical and subjective provision will ban virtually all firearms and muzzleloader hunting within the county. If a provision like this were in effect nationwide, hunting would be restricted to only the most remote locations in America. This proposal is an unfortunate knee-jerk reaction to an isolated incident that occurred in the county. The fact is that hunting remains one of the safest forms of recreation in the country according to the National Safety Council. This proposal will be discussed at a public hearing on Wednesday, January 21, at 7:30 p.m., in the Howard County Board of Education Building’s Board Room, located at 10910 Route 108, in Ellicott City. Please attend this public hearing and voice your opposition to this attack on Maryland’s hunting heritage. If you are unable to attend, please contact the members of the County Council TODAY and respectfully urge them to OPPOSE this anti-hunting measure. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
NEW YORK: Legislature Reconvenes with Anti-Gunner at the Helm of the Senate Codes Committee The New York State Legislature reconvened in Albany this week for the 2009-2010 Legislative Session with members of the Senate electing a new Majority Leader, State Senator Malcolm A. Smith (D-14). The newly-elected Majority Leader has assigned State Senator Eric T. Schneiderman (D-31) as the Chair of the State Senate Codes Committee, replacing long-time champion of gun-owners’ rights, State Senator Dale Volker (R-59). Senator Schneiderman is one of the most well known advocates for gun control to ever serve in Albany. We will keep you alerted as to when firearm-related legislation is introduced. Please continue to check www.NRAILA.org and your e-mail for updates throughout the legislative session.
NORTH CAROLINA: Anti-Gun Zealot Targeting Ammunition! For several years, anti-gun activist Reverend Melvin Whitley has been promoting a “Bullet Ownership Bill,” which would require anyone who wishes to purchase ammunition to first acquire a permit. While his efforts have yet to gain any traction, this year Whitley is hoping the Durham City Council will add his bill to its agenda of legislative proposals submitted to the North Carolina General Assembly. Attacks on ammunition are popular among the gun-ban crowd these days, because they see them as an opportunity to get around the Supreme Court's Heller decision, affirming that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Just as law-abiding citizens have the right to own firearms, they have the right to own the ammunition for those arms. In the wake of the Heller decision, states should be looking at ways to strengthen the rights protected under the Second Amendment, not weaken them, as Whitley’s proposal would do. Please contact members of the Durham City Council and respectfully urge them to reject Rev. Whitley’s attack on the Second Amendment and law-abiding gun owners. For a listing of council members and contact information, please visit http://www.durhamnc.gov/council/pdf/council_guide.pdf. In addition, please contact your State Representative and State Senator and respectfully urge them to oppose any efforts to place added restrictions on the rights of law-abiding citizens. To find contact information on your State Representative and Senator, please click here.
Dramatically Expanded Hunting Opportunities Proposed in North Carolina! The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has opened for public comment proposed regulatory changes to the fishing, hunting, and trapping seasons for 2009-2010. The Commission should be commended for offering what is an unprecedented expansion of hunting opportunities in the Tar Heel State. It is essential that sportsmen submit public comments in support of the proposed changes in order to ensure that they are enacted for the coming season. All of the proposed changes can be found by visiting http://www.ncwildlife.org and selecting “2009 Proposed Regulations & Public Hearing Schedule.” NRA encourages its members and the hunting community to submit comments supporting the efforts to expand hunting opportunities proposed by the NCWRC. Comments may be conveniently submitted online by going to www.ncwildlife.org and selecting the link to “Submit Comments Online,” or by going directly to the comments page at http://www.ncwildlife.org/ProposedRegulations/Main.aspx. Comments will be accepted until Sunday, February 1, 2009. There is also a schedule for public hearings, beginning Monday, January 5, 2009, that can be found when you select “2009 Proposed Regulations & Public Hearing Schedule.” NRA encourages members and hunters to attend these hearings to show their support for the NCWRC proposals. The importance of supportive public comments in this process cannot be overestimated. Remember that the anti-hunting radicals will be submitting comments in opposition to the expanded opportunities!
NORTH DAKOTA: Elk Management Plan for Theodore Roosevelt National Park Released for Public Comment! Until recently, the National Park Service has used park staff or contract sharpshooters to reduce populations of elk and deer within national parks to achieve herd levels that the habitat can support. As a result of NRA's advocacy for the use of hunters to assist in such operations, the Service is now obligated to consider the use of skilled volunteers (e.g. hunters). The Elk Reduction Plan for Rocky Mountain National Park, CO is the first such plan to include skilled volunteers. The Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) plan, which is open for public comment until Sunday, March 15, presents 6 action alternatives. Under Alternative B, skilled volunteers would become part of a pool of available personnel that could assist in the culling operations. Under Alternative E, the Service would look at ways to enhance elk hunting opportunities outside the park, in cooperation with the North Dakota Game & Fish Department, the U.S. Forest Service, and adjacent landowners. Public meetings will be held although specific dates and locations have not been announced. The draft plan is available at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/thro. You may submit your comments using the above website or mail your comments to Superintendent Valerie Naylor, TRNP, Box 7, Medora, ND 58645-0007. Hunters are considered the first conservationists and have been a valuable asset to wildlife managers in keeping wildlife in balance with its habitat and other natural resources. We encourage you to comment on the draft plan and support the use of hunters at TRNP, as well as supporting efforts by the Service and the state of North Dakota to enhance hunting opportunities outside the park.
RHODE ISLAND: Legislature Reconvenes in Providence The Rhode Island State Legislature reconvened in Providence this week for the 2009 Legislative Session with members of the Senate electing a new Senate President, State Senator M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D-13). We will keep you alerted as to when firearm-related legislation is introduced. Please continue to check www.NRAILA.org and your e-mail for updates throughout the legislative session.
TEXAS: Pro-Gun Bill Pre-Filed! The Texas Legislature will convene its 2009 Regular Session next Tuesday, January 13. State Representative Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton) has pre-filed House Bill 267, legislation which would allow Texans to purchase rifles and shotguns in non-contiguous states. Currently, federal law allows the interstate sales of such firearms, but a conflicting Texas law only allows residents to buy long guns in the neighboring states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. This state law has prevented the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) from approving sales of rifles and shotguns in 45 other states to Texas residents. Please contact your State Representatives and respectfully ask them to sign on as co-authors to HB 267 so that Texas law could be brought into line with federal law. Updated contact information for returning and newly elected House members can be found next week at http://www.house.state.tx.us.
VERMONT: Legislature Reconvenes with New House Speaker The Vermont State Legislature reconvened in Montpelier this week for the 2009-2010 Legislative Session, with members of the House electing a new Speaker, State Representative Shap Smith (D-Lamoille-Washington-1). We will keep you alerted as to when firearm-related legislation is introduced. Please continue to check www.NRAILA.org and your e-mail for updates throughout the legislative session.
Also, the 17th Annual Yankee Sportsman’s Classic Show will be held Jan. 16-Jan. 18, at the Robert E. Miller Expo Center, in Essex Junction, VT. This three day, 100,000 square foot, event includes nearly 175 exhibitors and more than 45 free seminars, showcasing: fly-fishing; ice-fishing; bass-fishing; deer, waterfowl, turkey, bear, elk, moose hunting; and much more. As part of this year’s show, NRA-ILA Grassroots staff will be hosting a Workshop entitled, "Mobilizing Gun Owners in our New Political Climate." The Workshop will be held on Saturday, January 17th, at 2:00 p.m., and repeat on Sunday, January 18th, at 12:00 noon. The Workshop will be held in the Stevens Room at the Expo Center.
The Robert E. Miller Expo Center is located just east of Interstate 89, Exit 15, on Route 15, at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds. Show hours are Friday, noon-8:00 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Tickets prices are $10 for adults, $3 for children under 12, and Free for children under 3. A three-day pass is available for $15. Parking is free. For more information, photos and/or a schedule of events, visit www.yankeeclassic.net . A portion of the proceeds is donated to Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, Vermont’s home away from home for children who have or have had cancer.
VIRGINIA: Virginia Crime Commission Set to Consider Possible Anti-Gun Recommendations on Tuesday, January 13! On Tuesday, January 13, the Virginia State Crime Commission will be recommending possible legislation to the General Assembly on whether to close the so-called “gun-show loophole” in Virginia. Anti-gun zealots are working hard to erode our Second Amendment freedoms and end the private transfer and sale of firearms between individuals, including family members. Gun-banning extremists never rest and will attempt to regulate and ban firearms in every legislative session in the Old Dominion. Similar legislation was defeated just last year in both the Virginia House and the Senate. There is little doubt that non-shooters and anti-gun forces will be active in making their voices heard so it is vital that gun owners and sportsmen speak loudly. Please contact the members of the Virginia State Crime Commission TODAY by email at [email protected] or fax at (804) 786-7872 and respectfully urge them to oppose any legislation that restricts the private sale of personal property and treats law abiding citizens as criminals.
