Carrying in National Wildlife Refuges

[Abraham]

Is it legal for a CHLer to carry in a National Wildlife Refuge and/or in one of their offices or buildings?

Thanks!

[couzin]

The Fish and Wildlife Service is part of the Department of the Interior - currently, no handguns allowed (some refuges actually state no concealed carry, most just say 'no handguns.' Hopefully, a rule change will come about soon with the proposed regulations that are being reviewed. BTW - even where concealed carry is permitted (US Forest Service lands as example), the Federally-owned building(s) on the lands (usually defined as the place where Government employees are located - not the covered picnic area) is off limits and you can be prosecuted per 18 U.S.C. 930(a) - or, simply told to take it outside.

[Abraham]

couzin,

Thank you very much for the reply.

My apologies for taking so long to say so.

I haven't been able to visit the board for a bit, so...

Thanks again!

[couzin]

De nada...

[casingpoint]

Out in the boonies of a national wildlife refuge, could you be convicted of possession after Heller? Inside buildings might be a different matter. That's is the problem with the Heller decision. It's not definitive enough regarding regulations. It appears to have upheld regulation of handguns, but to what extent?

[couzin]

Beats me - that is something for folks in the higher pay grades to answer. IMHO and IANAL - I believe Heller does not impact Federal agencies as it does not address carry of weapons nor whether a Federal agency can prohibit them - it specifically addresses the right of a citizen to have a weapon in their home (place of business?) for self-defense, unlocked, loaded, and ready to use. The Heller ruling does leave open the possibility of excluding certain classes of weapons though, like bazookas, nuclear devices, etc. Wasn't Daley of Chicago proposing a ban on any semiautomatic pistol or long gun as a way to get around the Heller decision?? I do believe the DOI rule changes will carry forward and weapons will be allowed on NPS/FWS lands, but I don't know if or how the rules address any changes to Bureau of Reclaimation, Bureau of Land Management, Office of Surface Mining, or even Bureau of Indian Affairs lands. Now, as to my former employer, the US Army Corps of Engineers, they seem to be a little slow on the uptake of all this. Maybe, since the Corps regulations mimic and are in the same Title of the CFR, they may deem it wise to consider changes (I think I remember the last change to the USACE CFR was late 1978 or so).

[dukesean]

I was wondering this as I was camping out in Yellowstone last week. Does my tent constitute my home, and if it does then does Heller apply, and I should be able to carry? Anyways, seems like there is a lot of momentum already to allow carrying in national parks, so I'll just let that run its course.