Trump Administration to Abolish One of America’s Biggest Gun-Free Zones

NRA American Flags
The Trump administration has overturned one of the longest-standing gun-free zones in America.

U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- On April 13, the Trump Administration published a proposed rule to end a ban on the possession of firearms in water resource development projects administered by the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE).

These areas comprise one of the largest networks of outdoor recreation sites in America, encompassing more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 states. Activities that occur on these sites include hiking, boating, fishing, camping, hunting, and geocaching.

Currently, regulations pertaining to these areas authorize the use and possession of firearms only for specified purposes, including hunting or at designated shooting ranges, or with written permission from the District Commander who has jurisdiction over the area in question.

The otherwise lawful possession of firearms, including for self-defense, is effectively banned.

Not only does this policy infringe the Second Amendment rights of visitors to these areas, as has been recognized by at least one federal court, it is at odds with policies governing firearms that apply on other types of federal recreational lands.

The National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Forest Service all recognize a right to possess firearms on lands under their authority, consistent with the laws of the states in which those lands are located.

Meanwhile, federal statutory law continues to prohibit the possession of firearms in “federal facilities” (i.e., buildings where federal employees regularly perform their official duties), a restriction that would not be changed by the pending rulemaking.

As proposed, the rule would allow visitors to possess and transport firearms on ACE water resource development project lands and waters, provided they are not prohibited by law from possessing firearms and the possession or transportation is otherwise in compliance with applicable laws.

This commonsense provision would abolish an existing gun-free zone on 12 million acres of public lands and waters nationwide, including 55,390 miles of shoreline, 7,856 miles of trails, 92,588 campsites, and 3,754 boat ramps.

Comments may be filed in support of the rule at Regulations.gov.  Submissions are due by June 12, 2020.

As Americans look forward to re-engaging in their favorite outdoor pastimes at the end of the state lockdowns currently in effect because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Trump administration is at work to ensure they will do so with their Second Amendment rights fully intact.

The NRA thanks the president for his continued support of our right to keep and bear arms and urges all gun owners to show their enthusiastic support for the proposed rule by submitting their comments.

 


National Rifle Association Institute For Legislative Action (NRA-ILA)

About:

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

NRA-ILA
36 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Get Out

This is great news for gun owners. Let’s hope the buffoons don’t ruin it by shooting the boat ramp signs, area maps and trees etc. The boat ramp where I go has the signs, toilet building, railings and such shot up.

ColdeadHands75

We all know there are MORONS out there that make things very difficult for us honest gun-toting AMERICAN citizens!

nobodyuknow

HIGH TIME!!! GUN FREE ZONES ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES IN AMERICA!!! ALL SUPPORTERS OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION NEED TO POST A COMMENT TO DO AWAY WITH THESE GUN FREE ZONES!!!

Coelacanth

Pending the enactment of this law, when you go pier fishing in Michigan on one of the many Great Lakes piers and jetties erected by the Army Corps of Engineers, you can be armed. Great! Thanks to the Trump administration, the Second Amendment is step by step, inch by inch, being restored.

American Patriot

However if Trump loses the election all gains will be lost!

Ansel Hazen

It’s Trump 2020 or boogaloo.

gooder12

U know I have not much cared for the right nor the left in my 50 years of voting, and they are both getting worse instead of better. I figure that The Right should be giving USA National Carry, and also free up one of our biggest Gun Free Zones which are almost every Government Building at ever level from City, County, State, and Fed….. I am waiting on The Right to actually do what they say they believe in. Until then and I won’t hold my breath I will simply Carry Always as I have done for over 20… Read more »

Catatonic

Very well said, gooder12. I think you speak for many of us.

Rattlerjake

So instead of fighting the establishment of the state carry permit, YOU and most of the other blowhards in your state, conceded and paid for your right – THAT IS WHY THEY (the bureaucraps) GET AWAY WITH THIS CRAP!!!!!!! I live in a state that requires a carry permit for concealed but not for open carry, yet I do both and have NEVER cowered to their permit requirement in the 30 years I have lived here. The day I get arrested for carrying concealed will be the day we see if the NRA (and other pro-gun orgs) is/are really what… Read more »

Wild Bill

@Rattler, I hope that God gave you the fortune to take your future case all the way to the S. Ct. and win.

Finnky

NRA certainly won’t pay for it. Doubt any of the other groups would touch it either. They’ve got limited resources and need to take cases they can win.
Outcome would depend upon on discretionary of intervening officers, prosecutors, judge and jury – in that order. Good luck if you (rattler) are foolish enough to venture into NJ, CA, NYC or other anti-gun local.

mlhtd51

98% of Public Mass Shootings occur in “GUN-FREE ZONES”. The other 2% occur in areas that were immediately Adjacent To “GUN-FREE Zones” (such as Parking Lots or Streets just outside the building)

Nickname

We need more free gun zones.

Tionico

This is a good move. No ACE lands near me, but the pprinciple stands.

Better yet, how’s about divesting Uncle Stupid of ALL lands unconstitutionaly controlled/owned? That would exempt military forts bases and ports, post office, courthouses, the Distcrict of Corruption itself, and that’s about it.

Dragonfly

I fish on Lake Lanier north of Atlanta quite frequently. The prohibition of carrying my handgun has been a PITA for years. I hate to leave my EDC under the seat. Most of the ramps are unattended. Some of the ramps have a reputation of vehicles being vandalized. I am missing a handgun now that I think was purloined at one of the unattended ramps.

Kudos to President Trump.
DF

glendalehawk

It’s about time that these areas are opened to carry and express our 2nd amendment rights. Thank you Mr. President.

Pa John

Heh, I had to do a DuckDuckGo search for “geocaching” to find out what that was.

From Geocaching dot com:
“Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches”, at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world.”

Wikipedia has an entry for geocaching as well.

Imagine that. I didn’t even know “geocaching” was a thing!

Ol’ Bill

I just logged in and left a comment with no problem.

JohnnyB

I’m giving up trying to comment on the fed form. I have tried two different days and each time the gov. form tells me I haven’t filled it out after I have.
What is wrong with the damn TI people in that department? Do they not want comments from the public?????

Catatonic

They probably don’t. ;-/

Laddyboy

Thank you for putting the address to comment in your article.
Everyone of the OVER 25,000 Second Amendment INFRINGEMENTS must be removed from LEGAL LAW ABIDING American CITIZENS.
Those Americans who want our 2nd RIGHTS, keep sending positive notes to Your Representatives and especially to President Trump to get passed RECOGNIZED CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY for Americans.

Deplorable Bill

“The RIGHT of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” I am glad that Trump is fixing this previous attack on our freedoms. I wonder who it was that came up with illegally depriving us of our freedoms in the first place? At least this is one right we don’t have to fight for.

Arm up, carry on.

linkman

I think this specific infringement was put in place by law in 1946. 36 CFR § 327.13 would have been signed by President Truman (unless it was passed by veto override).

Wild Bill

@link, CFR stands for Code of Federal Regulations. They are not law. Each code section is a statement of how an Act of Congress will be carried out by the various federal agencies.

Wild Bill

Title 36. Parks, Forests, and Public Property Chapter III. CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY Part 327. RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING PUBLIC USE OF WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ADMINISTERED BY THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS The LAST breadcrumb item does NOT get an ‘ahref’ applied to it. Also, add style so it is different Section 327.13. Explosives, firearms, other weapons and fireworks. 36 CFR § 327.13 – Explosives, firearms, other weapons and fireworks. CFR prev | next ‘text’ content area § 327.13 Explosives, firearms, other weapons and fireworks. (a) The possession of loaded firearms, ammunition, loaded projectile firing devices, bows… Read more »

Finnky

@WB – Does this mean all those boaters driving power boats are breaking the law? Cannot think of any other explosives more easily available than gasoline.

Knute

Ohhh… in Soros’ news, toilet paper came back in stock at Albertson’s today. 18.99 for the five dollar pack. Missed it again! I said it would be back when the price doubles. If I’d said “more than triples” I’dve been dead on the money!
“Missed it by THAT much…” -Maxwell Smart 🙂

Tionico

Out West, Winceo have a non-house brand that IS exactly double what it was prior to the pandemonium outbreak. A wholesale restaurant supply outfit that I can access did have two pallets last time I was by, 36 rolls for $22. A tad higher, but VERY reasonable considering. I bought one…. the limit per visit. Their sister store across town had precisely NONE.

Knute

But at the local Albertson’s at more than triple…. no limit at all! Figures huh? They know ain’t anybody gonna buy out all the house brand TP for 19 bucks per 12 rolls.

Wild Bill

@Knute Knute, All those positive waves, man, we can not lose.

Knute

It worked for Oddball. “We got ’em by the ass!!”
Indeed we do… but now we have a tiger by the tail. Hang on tight! 🙂

Laddyboy

It is a shame that Mssss. T. Smith has given herself over to the Darkk Sidde. I used to enjoy her singing. Now her singing is just another howl in the dark.

gooder12

If you really want to know this 68 year old thinks u could Goggle it and learn something………………..

Rattlerjake

I doesn’t matter who came up with it, what matters is WHY the PEOPLE allowed this law to become law in the first place; as with the majority of other prohibitive, unconstitutional laws. Our nation is a nation of talkers not doers, unlike our forefathers. All “we” do is sit back and allow these illegal laws to be enacted and enforced, instead of taking up those arms and putting down that government as our forefathers specified in the Constitution. One, two, or a handful of people cannot protect our rights, we ALL need to stand up and force these jerks… Read more »

Wild Bill

@Rattler, Because it is not law. The agency wrote the CFR telling Congress how the agency intended to carry out Congress’ Act, had a notice and comment period for the public, and then promulgated “the rule.”

WP

I just submitted my comment and immediately got an email receipt for it. It will post after it is reviewed.