A law of the highest caliber

Near the end of the Bush (junior) administration, a National Parks Service regulation prohibiting firearms in national parks was administratively changed to allow carrying personal firearms for self defense as long as the person meet all legal requirements for the state in which the national park was located. This change meant good things for Alaskans frequenting all the national parks within our borders.

When the Obama administration took over, this new ruling was immediately put on hold, supposedly for further study to see if it was really warranted. Essentially, that meant the end of that regulation change and a reversion to the old situation.

However, a strong coalition of pro-gun congressmen and senators, both Republican and Democrat, felt this was a rather bold and perhaps backdoor approach to retaining a level of gun control which made no sense. As a result, a rider putting the administrative changes about carrying firearms in national parks into legislation was added to a spending bill which the Obama administration really wanted.

The main legislation and the rider amendment passed both houses of Congress and was reluctantly signed by President Obama this past year. The president decided he wanted the main legislation enough that he was willing to sign the bill. He could have vetoed the rider but only at the expense of losing the entire legislative package.

On Monday, that new legislation went into effect. It is now legal to carry a firearm in a national park for personal protection, as long as you are in compliance with all regulations pertaining to carrying that firearm for the state in which the national park is located. For Alaskans, that somewhat confusing statement is easy — all national parks in Alaska are only in Alaska. Several national parks in the Lower 48 extend into multiple states. Down there, you’ll need to know which state you’re in when you’re inside the park to be legal.

I haven’t seen any “official” regulations yet, but I would suspect there will be prohibitions against target shooting and any other “needless” discharge of firearms within national parks while a person is carrying for personal protection. I can see why.

The change in regulation now allows a person to carry a firearm for personal protection within a national park. That implies that you have already test fired your gun at a shooting range to check for reliability of both the gun and the ammunition and you have already sighted the firearm in during those same shooting sessions prior to taking that gun into the national park of interest.

Keep in mind that the National Park Service, as an agency, has always taken a decidedly anti-gun political position. One of the big objections the national parks people put forth when this regulation change was originally being considered was the speculation that people would be randomly firing their guns in a park, endangering other visitors and possibly damaging trees, road and informational signs and other park artifacts.

Just as you wouldn’t randomly be shooting your pistol or revolver as you walked down a city street to check the sights or shoot up some old ammunition, so you should also have the same respect for the national park you are visiting.

Almost 40 years ago, I was planning a backpacking trip into Denali National Park. I knew the regulations about firearms, but I also had no intention of meeting a grizzly out in the middle of nowhere with only a smile on my face. I packed my .357 magnum revolver in my backpack.

A friend of mine was working that summer as a ranger at the park. When I told him my plans, he sternly warned me not to be caught with the revolver in the park. I assured him the gun would stay in the pack and would only be taken out if and when it was needed. He also warned me that if I actually fired the gun for, say, a bear attack, I’d better have bite marks on my arm up to my shoulder before firing or I would most likely be prosecuted for having an illegal firearm. I would guess that’s probably still the prevailing parks staff attitude, especially in national parks in the Lower 48.

Use some common sense, save the shooting sessions for the shooting range and only use a firearm in a park for personal defense from either four-legged or two-legged predators.

On another topic, by the time you read this I’ll, hopefully, be home recovering from some surgery on my neck. A combination of the ravages of getting older, perhaps a little genetics and a lot of heavy physical labor during my remote hatchery days with the state have contributed toward a ruptured disc in my neck. Actually, I have two bad discs, but only one is currently putting pressure on my spinal column. The surgery I referenced will remove the disc and begin the process of fusing the joint between the two vertebrae.

The doctors say no snowmachining or lifting for a while, so I’ll get caught up on my reading. I’m hoping to get some icefishing in, maybe with Gnarly Dan, during my convalescence, especially after I get bored sitting around!

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by e-mailing sports@frontiersman.com.