LOADED GUNS IN ACADIA

The Department of Interior is considering changing a rule so that loaded guns could be carried in some national parks. It’s a bad idea for several reasons, chief among them the weakness of the argument by those wanting the change.

The current federal rule allows guns in national parks, but the weapons must be “unloaded; broken down” if the gun is the kind that can easily be taken apart and concealed, such as in a vehicle trunk or packed away with cargo. The new rule would have each state’s laws on guns hold sway in that state’s national parks, historic sites or fish and wildlife refuges – specifically, the state’s laws on guns in its state parks would apply.

In Maine, that provision has the Acadia National Park advocacy group, Friends of Acadia, scratching their heads. State parks and historic sites in Maine have one set of rules for guns, while Baxter State Park has another rule. Which would apply here? In addition, says Stephanie Clement, conservation director for Friends of Acadia, the rules would be inconsistent from state to state, causing confusion for visitors.

But it gets worse. As the rules now stand, park rangers can be pretty sure a visitor is up to no good – poaching or worse – if he or she is seen brandishing a weapon. Under the proposed rule change, the rangers would have a much higher threshold to prove poaching. Ms. Clement also worries that rangers making traffic stops in the park could encounter a driver with a loaded weapon, making for a potentially more dangerous interaction.

The argument proponents of the change make is that carrying a gun, where and when one is legally able to do so, makes for a safer visit. A gun might stop an animal attack or a back country criminal assault. But others say carrying a loaded gun might embolden visitors to approach dangerous animals such as grizzly bears or prompt them to fire on animals when the visitors were in no real danger.

And in parks where grizzlies pose a threat, such as in Alaska, exemptions to the weapon rule already are granted.

Seven former National Park Service directors – whose service covered nearly 30 years – have written a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne arguing for retaining the current rule, which was adopted 25 years ago during the Reagan administration.

The public comment period on the proposed rule change closes on June 30. Those who believe experiencing the wonders of Acadia – and the nation’s other national parks – is not enhanced by adding loaded guns to the mix should tell that to the Department of Interior.