Statement from Ducks Unlimited supporting clarifications for firearms in parks

WASHINGTON – Feb. 19, 2010 – The following statement is from Ducks Unlimited Director of Public Policy Barton James on the announcement by the National Park Service (NPS) enacting new rules about carrying firearms on lands regulated by the Service.

Logo ©National Park Service

"Ducks Unlimited is pleased that the National Park Service is clarifying their position about carrying firearms on National Park Service land. Many legal hunting areas share borders with or can only be accessed from NPS lands.

"Prior to these revisions, the ability of waterfowlers to legally access these areas was in doubt due to uncertainties around whether they could transport their firearms across park boundaries. Ducks Unlimited has been advocating for access for hunters to legal hunting areas for several years.

"Overlooked in much of the debate around this rule is the positive impact that it will have for hunters. Previously, confusion over boundaries and regulations could lead to citations and fines for otherwise well-intended, law-abiding hunters openly carrying shotguns or rifles. This clarification will clear up that confusion, and encourage more Americans to take to the field and the duck blind next fall.

"With this clarification, hunters can now follow the same laws as the state they are hunting in, providing better opportunities for America's outdoors men and women to enjoy nature. Waterfowl hunters alone contribute more than $2 billion to U.S. economy every year, and this rule will help continue that tradition."

Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved over 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

Neil Shader
nshader@ducks.org
202.347.1530