Many of you know that for the last 18 months ANPR has joined with like-minded organizations to advocate against proposed laws and regulations that would ease restrictions on the possession of firearms inside NPS units. Changes such as those that have been proposed would begin to chip away at over 100 years of wildlife and park values protection and could result in a complete redefining of what the National Park System stands for in the minds of American citizens.

Until last week our alliance of groups has been fairly successful at defending firearms regulations that have been in place on a system-wide basis in more-or-less the same form since 1936. However, now we are faced with almost certain change that would defer to state law, and that we believe would, over time, be highly detrimental to park resources and values.

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) proposed an amendment (see below) that would allow ALL kinds of guns (rifles, shotguns, assault weapons, handguns, etc.) to be carried in units of the National Park System, consistent with the laws of the state in which the unit lies. The Coburn Amendment passed the Senate by a wide margin and is currently attached to the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 (H.R.627). This bill is headed back to the House of Representatives with the Coburn Amendment attached. Because most legislators are in favor of Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009, and because President Obama is putting pressure on the Congress to pass this bill before Memorial Day, House leadership is faced with a dilemma about whether to go to Conference with the bill (which could result in the Coburn Amendment being stripped out; but could be time-consuming), or to bring the bill up for vote. If the decision is to have a House vote, there would be a vote on the Coburn Amendment and then a vote on the entire bill. Our contacts in the House are very worried that a House vote on the Coburn Amendment would be passed just as it was in the Senate and a vote on the bill is very likely to pass, thus sending the bill with the Coburn Amendment attached to the White House. Our contacts in the Obama Administration are telling us that President Obama desires to sign the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 enough that he will be willing to accept the Coburn Amendment, if necessary.

Most of us and the organizations we work with believe the Coburn Amendment would be very damaging to national parks (and wildlife refuges). If there is not a ground-swell of opposition forthcoming, especially led by folks like you that can articulate what conditions are like on the ground in parks and how the addition of loaded, readily-accessible firearms of all kinds will change park conditions for the worse from your first-hand experience, then this battle will be lost for the foreseeable future. Therefore, we are asking you to take the following actions – TODAY – because the House leadership will very likely take action on the bill and amendment early this week (Monday or Tuesday), before the recess:

1. Call your Representative in the House and ask him/her to urge the House leadership to conference the bill; or if that fails, to vote AGAINST the Coburn Amendment. Explain how this amendment could affect any NPS units in or near his/her District. AND,
2. Call Speaker Pelosi’s office (202-225-0100) and urge House leadership to conference the bill and to strip out the Coburn Amendment. AND,
3. Call the White House at 202-456-1111 and urge the President NOT to sign the bill into law if it comes to him with the Coburn Amendment attached.
4. We believe making the 3 calls above would have the greatest impact, but if calling is not a comfortable communication tool for you, electronic letters can be sent utilizing this webpage of the National Parks Conservation Association (http://act.npca.org/campaign/guns_rider/nao7wnx7e8?).

BRIEF TALKING POINTS (in opposition to the Coburn Amendment):

• Likely to increase opportunistic shooting of wildlife and poaching
• Likely to increase opportunistic shooting at cultural and archeological resources (e.g., petroglyphs)
• Subverts a federal responsibility (managing national parks) to state law
• Likely to increase risk to visitors, rangers and other employees
• Diminishes the “specialness” of national parks and what makes them different from every other place
• According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, there were only 1.65 violent crimes per 100,000 national park visitors in 2006--making national parks some of the safest places in the United States (compare this low rate to the national violent crime rate, estimated in 2005 at 469.2 victims per 100,000 citizens.)
• Changes the social dynamic in parks – increases suspicion visitors will have that other visitors could be in possession of a firearm and makes friendly encounters typical in parks less likely
• Increases administrative and operational burden on already diminished workforce in parks
• Does the American public really want firearms present at ranger talks and walks, in public campgrounds, on backcountry trails and in shelters, etc.?