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Carry in National Parks WA

M

malichite

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I am going hiking this weekend and am a little confused about carrying. I have been doing a bunch of reading and everything is unclear to me. It looks like currently no National parks allow CC or OC. I then read somewhere else that this has been changed but isn't effective yet. I am going hiking this weekend, either Olympics or North Cascades and was currious about carrying OC or CC. Anybody done or know more about this?
 
ak56

ak56

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No carry in National Parks until February22 of 2010.

Edited to correct date from 9th to 22nd - that's what I get for trying to go from memory.
 
S

SpaghettiDude

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I was hiking in Mt. Rainier National Park this past weekend, and if memory serves correctly, they had signs up stating that the changes made earlier this year won't take effect until February 22nd of 2010. At that time, concealed carry in National Parks will be allowed, as long as you are legally allowed to do so according to the state laws that the park is in.

I can't seem to find this explicitly stated on an NPS site at the moment, but I'll edit this if/when I do.
 
J

joeroket

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SpaghettiDude wrote:
I was hiking in Mt. Rainier National Park this past weekend, and if memory serves correctly, they had signs up stating that the changes made earlier this year won't take effect until February 22nd of 2010. At that time, concealed carry in National Parks will be allowed, as long as you are legally allowed to do so according to the state laws that the park is in.

I can't seem to find this explicitly stated on an NPS site at the moment, but I'll edit this if/when I do.
Click to expand...
The bill was signed by the president on May 22nd. It will become law under Public Law No: 111-24 on Feb. 22nd. It is not limited to concealed carry either. The bill states;

Protecting the right of individuals To bear arms in units of the National Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge System.— The Secretary of the Interior shall not promulgate or enforce any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm including an assembled or functional firearm in any unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System if— (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm; and(2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the State in which the unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System is located.
 
D

deanf

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Make sure you know the difference between the National Park areas and the National Forest areas. There's sometimes confusion over this. OC and CC ok in National Forests. Always has been.
 
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SpaghettiDude

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Well, the more I look into this, the more it appears that concealed carry is currently legal, but that OC will have to wait till Feb 22nd of 2010.

Specifically, the DOI/NPS regulations found here http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=09000064807d5681 that went into effect on Feb 9th of 2009 allow concealed carry. PL 111-24 was signed after that, and will not go into effect until Feb. 22 of 2010. At that time, both concealed and open carry will be permissible per Washington State law.

Anyone care to verify my conclusions? Not sure if I've got all the pertaining facts in order, but it seems that I do.
 
D

deanf

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The change in regulations was blocked by a federal judge. Sorry I can't give you any further info. It's here on OCDO somewhere. Use Search.
 
ak56

ak56

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SpaghettiDude wrote:
Well, the more I look into this, the more it appears that concealed carry is currently legal, but that OC will have to wait till Feb 22nd of 2010.

Specifically, the DOI/NPS regulations found here http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=09000064807d5681 that went into effect on Feb 9th of 2009 allow concealed carry. PL 111-24 was signed after that, and will not go into effect until Feb. 22 of 2010. At that time, both concealed and open carry will be permissible per Washington State law.

Anyone care to verify my conclusions? Not sure if I've got all the pertaining facts in order, but it seems that I do.
Click to expand...

The original regulation that was to go into effect on Feb 9, 2009 was blocked by a federal judge, so is not in effect. (I knew there was a Feb 9 in this issue somewhere).

PL 111-24 was signed after that, and will allow CC and OCper Washington state law after Feb 22, 2010.
 
J

jinj

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PNW, Washington, USA
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So until that date in 2010, can you carry an unloaded gun on your person, and a magazine in a pocket? What is considered loaded gun in a national park?
 
J

jinj

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Right Wing Wacko wrote:
It is my understanding that until that time, the gun and ammo must be stored separately and in a manner that makes them not immediatly available to you.

Very Bad Law
Click to expand...
What does that mean though, what is immediate, within a few seconds, or 30 seconds? What if a partner had a magazine and I had the gun?

I prefer not to leave these items in a car.
 
O

olypendrew

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Port Angeles, Washington, USA
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jinj wrote:
Right Wing Wacko wrote:
It is my understanding that until that time, the gun and ammo must be stored separately and in a manner that makes them not immediatly available to you.

Very Bad Law
Click to expand...
What does that mean though, what is immediate, within a few seconds, or 30 seconds? What if a partner had a magazine and I had the gun?

I prefer not to leave these items in a car.
Click to expand...

If you were able to get to it and use it to defend yourself against the bear, rapist, psychopath, then it was immediately available. You might be prosecuted for violating an unconstitutionalrule that the Park Service itself tried to change, and that has since been repealed by Congress as of February 2010. But you will be alive.

If you were killed by one of the above, then the gun was not immediately available, and you will not be prosecuted for violating an unconstitutionalrule that the Park Service itself tried to change, and that has since been repealed by Congress as of February 2010. But you will be dead.
 
J

jinj

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Yep, funny but true.

I know of one national park where hand guns aren't allowed but rifles are.
That same national park in Nevada doesn't allow pet dogs, even on a leash, but allows hunting dogs off leash.

Its crazy.
 
Mainsail

Mainsail

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Apr 24, 2007
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Silverdale, Washington, USA
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malichite wrote:
I am going hiking this weekend, either Olympics or North Cascades and was currious about carrying OC or CC. Anybody done or know more about this?
Click to expand...
Wait, where exactly are you going? You are aware that there are National Parks (no carry currently), National Forests (carry any way you want), and Wilderness Areas (carry any way you want), right?

So, in the Olympic National Park, you cannot carry (or bring your dog for that matter).

In the Olympic area National Forests, you can carry openly or concealed.
 
amlevin

amlevin

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North of Seattle, Washington, USA
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olypendrew wrote:
If you were killed by one of the above, then the gun was not immediately available, and you will not be prosecuted for violating an unconstitutionalrule that the Park Service itself tried to change, and that has since been repealed by Congress as of February 2010. But you will be dead.
Click to expand...
--unless you can run faster than your hiking buddy:lol:
 
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