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Open Carry in National Wildlife Refuges

Nikki_Black

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2010
Messages
220
Location
Saint Francisville, Louisiana, United States
imported post

Hey guys, me again. I have a quick question.
Let me start off with this, I live very close to Cat Island NWR, and I go fishing there pretty much every other day.
I've been leaving my gun at home for these trips. I really don't like doing so. Cause anybody who's been there knows that it's in the middle of nowhere. I want to protect myself from four legged critters that may see me as a tasty meal, or two legged critters that want my car and money.
I'm sorry if this topic has been covered before, I didn't find any definite answers in my searches.
Now that all of that is out of the way, here's my question.
Is it legal to open carry my firearms (pistol) on NWR land if I'm not hunting or engaging in any illegal activity?

Thanks guys,
Josh
 

55bowtie

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
57
Location
shreveport
imported post

We can thank Senator Tom Coburn and all gun rights members of the Congress for passing an amendment to the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 to allow citizens who are authorized to carry firearms according to their state law, to also carry firearms into National Parks and Wildlife Refuges. The amended bill was passed by the Senate 90-5 and by the House of Representatives 361-64. The Bill was signed into law by Barack Obama on May 22, 2009.

The new law goes into effect nine months after signing so February 22, 2010 will mark the return of lawfully carried firearms in the National Park system and the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Here is the text of the new law:

Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens on 83,600,000 acres of National Park System land and 90,790,000 acres of land under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

(8) The Federal laws should make it clear that the second amendment rights of an individual at a unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System should not be infringed.

(b) 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.
 

georg jetson

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
2,416
Location
Slidell, Louisiana
imported post

Nikki_Black wrote:
I meant, is it legal under Louisiana law. That's kind of why it's in the LA subforum.
Geez... the law has been posted already... can you read?? Here's a link to the entire bill... see section 512...

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ024.111

Specifically...
Code:
(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.


Code:
 
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