Blue Ridge Parkway Ends Requirement for Hunter Access Permit

The Blue Ridge Parkway has announced that accessing game lands adjacent to the Parkway will no longer require a permit.

“However, you must contact the park prior to transporting game,” says Steve Stinnett, Chief Ranger for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

With the change in federal law that became effective in national parks February 10, 2010, concealed carry of handguns with a valid permit and open carry of legal firearms are allowed in national parks in Virginia consistent with state law.

“Hunting on parkway lands, the use and discharge of firearms, carrying firearms in federal facilities, and the possession of other weapons and traps are still prohibited,” said Stinnett.

The end of the permit removes the need to find a ranger or travel to a parkway office to obtain a permit. However, this change also means that permission which was previously given for transporting game across park lands and roads is gone.

“Under the new procedure, anyone taking game is directed to transport it in a way that does not cross park lands or use the Parkway,” said Stinnett. “If the parkway is the only reasonable access for removal of game, hunters must request permission by contacting a park ranger or theCommunications Center (828-298-2491, 24 hrs/day) prior to the transport. It is the hunter’s responsibility to show that the game was not taken on park lands, and transport is limited to the closest state road access to the Parkway.”

For further information on the hunter access policy change, contact your local ranger station, visithttp://www.nps.gov/blri/parkmgmt/lawsandpolicies.htm, or contact Chief Ranger Steve Stinnett at (828) 271-4779, extension 239.

How is campus any different?

This column appeared in the Virginia Tech student newspaper on Wednesday. Written by Sam Stephens, a student who is identified as a guest columnist, the article is thoughtful and concise on the topic of being able to protect one's life.

I feel like I lead a good life. I'm a student at an incredible school in one of the top 10 engineering programs in the country. I have an incredible family, any one of which I'd take a bullet for. I have good friends and just recently I've landed the most amazing girl I've ever met.

But I cannot pretend to comprehend why someone would take two students' lives in the middle of their camping trip. No one can answer what was on Cho's mind when he killed 32 of my classmates, and I will never know why no one acted when the girl was stabbed and decapitated in front of her fellow Hokies.

The one thing that I do know is that not a single one of the victims of these crimes stood a fighting chance. I do know that as soon as I cross onto campus I can no longer have my weapon on me even though I'm a law-abiding citizen with a concealed handgun permit.

This issue is not going away. As more students like Sam speak out, more legislators are going to take notice and the standard "college campuses should be places where guns are not needed" will no longer suffice as a response to the campus carry movement.

Some Gun Control Friends Voted for National Park Amendment

But it was by accident - so says an article on last Friday's Congressional Quarterly web site.

At least 11 House Democrats (not including freshmen) who have typically sided with gun-control advocates on past votes this time around favored allowing state and local gun laws to take precedence over federal law in national parks.

Those 11 were Reps. Adam Smith of Washington, Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey, Ed Perlmutter of Colorado, Joe Courtney of Connecticut, Gregory W. Meeks of New York, Shelley Berkley of Nevada, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, Hank Johnson of Georgia, Melissa Bean of Illinois, Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode Island and Diana DeGette of Colorado.

Patrick Kennedy told CQ he did not want the underlying bill (the credit card bill) to be held up but in the House the amendment was voted on separately from the larger bill to give those who wanted the bill but who opposed the amendment (as well as those who opposed the credit card bill but favored the Coburn Amendment) could vote their conscience. Had the Coburn Amendment failed, the bill would have headed back to the Senate, but the final vote wasn’t even close — the House vote on May 20 was 279 in favor of the gun provision and 147 against.

According to CQ, Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to End Handgun Violence, said he wondered whether House members “weren’t sure what they were voting on.”

Based on Kennedy's comments, I'd say the chances are good that at least some had no clue what was going on.

Court Blocks Rule Allowing Firearms in National Parks

A federal judge on Thursday blocked the new rule put in place by the Bush Administration that allowed law abiding citizens who possess a concealed carry permit to carry in national parks. The decision was handed down by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. In her ruling, Kollar-Kotelly said that the government's process had been "astoundingly flawed."

The Justice Department had sought to block the injunction against the controversial rule. The three groups that brought the suit -- the Brady Campaign toPrevent Gun Violence, the National Parks Conservation Association andthe Coalition of National Park Service Retires -- argued the Bush Administration violated several laws in issuing the rule.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar declined to comment Thursday, citing the ongoing court case.

Hopefully the injuction will be appealed. We'll keep you informed.