Rangers see complications in legislation allowing loaded guns to be carried in national parks

Congress passed legislation last week allowing people to carry loaded weapons in the nation's 391 national parks and 550 national wildlife refuges beginning next February. But while supporters praise the law and cite it as a step for the right to self defense, Scott Streater writes for The New York Times that its passage will not end the debate over private gun rights and public safety in national parks and wildlife refuges.

Most of the opposition is concerned with the ability of law enforcement to protect the public from unsafe firearm holders. "Instances of directed violence or just careless gun-wielding continue to draw attention from law enforcement agencies and the courts," Streater reports, beginning his story with the tale of a man who fired at least nine shots in a campground at a black bear foraging for table scraps. The varied locations of national parks, from rural Yellowstone to New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty, will also increase how long it will take to implement the new law. The Interior Department says it will take nine months.

National Park Service statistics show the crime rate in national parks is the lowest it has been since 1995, but Streater reports that there are also fewer park rangers than a decade ago. Approximately 1,500 are responsible for ensuring the safety of 300 million annual visitiors spread out over 85 million acres. Add to that discrepancy the exisiting incidents of vandalism and wildlife poaching, and park rangers seem particularly overwhelmed. This new legislation adds another layer of complexity to the issue. "The biggest fear is people will be wandering around in the woods with firearms," said Doug Morris, a former NPS chief park ranger in California. "Now we'll have our backcountry filled with morons carrying guns." (Read more)