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Page 2 {The Blue Banner} Wednesday, March 17, 2010 New law permits guns on the Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina allows loaded firearms with concealed carry permits By Ashleigh Joyner ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR AMJOYNER@UNCA.EDU As of Feb. 22 loaded guns are allowed on the Blue Ridge Parkway and in other national parks, according to a new law. “During the Reagan administration, firearms had to be packed away and un loaded,” said Steve Stinnett, chief ranger of the Blue Ridge Parkway. In North Carolina, loaded firearms are allowed on the parkway as long as the person has a concealed carry permit, but the law depends on what state visitors are in, Stiimett said. “We recommend people go to the state and look up firearm laws,” Stinnett said. “If they’re in Virginia, they need to know the laws because they are dif ferent for each state.” The new law was not passed by the park service but by Congress, said Doug Morris, an executive council member for the Coalition of National Park Re tirees. “This is the law,” Stinnett said. “When the regulation from the Reagan adminis tration was put into practice, we admin istered the law, like we will do with this law.” For those who support gun laws, the new law is next on the agenda for fur thering Second Amendment rights, Morris said. “Those that support weapons think it’s great,” Morris said. “I think the great majority of visitors are concerned be cause most people are wary of people carrying guns.” Those who support the new law said it is merely for people to defend them selves. “Crime doesn’t stop at park gates,” said Vickie Cleplak, National Rifle As sociation spokeswoman. The probability of hunting could also increase, according to Morris. “The law doesn’t allow the use of fire arms,” Stinnett said. “Visitors can’t go -1- Steven Hall Assistant Photography Editor Robert Thompson, left, and Michael Cocker bike on the Biue Ridge Parkway near Asheviile. out on the Blue Ridge Parkway and tar get shoot. They can only carry firearms. Hunting is prohibited on the parkway.” Inexperienced firearm users could in jure people or animals unintentionally, Morris said. “There is the concern that those who bring firearms into the park might per ceive a danger with animals and fire the gun,” he said. “Very rarely would that be a legitimate reaction, and it results from a lack of knowledge of wildlife animals.” The parkway does offer a hunter ac cess program, Stinnett said. “No hunting is allowed on parkway lands, but with a special permit, access to hunting on U.S. Forest Service lands is allowed from designated places along the parkway,” he said. Morris said the new law causes con cern for families visiting the parkway. “The great majority of park visitors would prefer to bring their families to parks and not worry about firearms,” he said. “I think particularly foreign visi tors are concerned because they are not used to seeing guns on display in their country.” With guns present in the park, in stances of violence will increase, Morris said. “The amount of gun violence inside a park is one in 100,000,” he said. “When you go outside a park, it is four or five times that. That’s a big part of our fear- Parks have always been one of the saf est places in America, and when people are allowed to have guns, violence will See guns Page 4
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