Sigh. As feared, the measure made it through the House. The new law won’t be implemented until February 2010, however.

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While the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 is a piece of legislation I most definitely support, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) introduced an rider to the bill which would allow visitors to openly carry loaded firearms in our national parks (as well as battlefields, national monuments and historic sites).

The bill passed the Senate yesterday, with an overwhelming majority: 90 yes votes to just 5 no votes. The rider was left intact, with a vote of 67-29.

CNN’s Brianna Keilar explains:
 

A number of environmental groups oppose the rider, fearing that it will make national parks less safe for human visitors and non-human inhabitants alike.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), for example, offers the following background and commentary:

On January 9, 2009, the Bush Administration made effective new regulations that allowed visitors to carry loaded, concealed firearms in national parks. The Bush regulation replaced a regulation developed by the Reagan Administration that required that firearms in national parks be unloaded and put away. The Reagan regulation was developed in 1983, and had been successful at maintaining our national parks as safe, family-friendly destinations. In fact, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, there were 1.65 violent crimes per 100,000 national park visitors in 2006–making national parks some of the safest places for families to visit in the United States.

National park professionals, including seven former Directors of the National Park Service, the Association of National Park Rangers, the U.S. Park Ranger Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, and the current career leadership of the National Park Service strongly opposed the Bush regulation. These national park professionals echoed NPCA’s concern that the Bush regulation would increase the risk of opportunistic shooting of wildlife, and vandalism of historic monuments, structures, and archaeological resources, as well as increase the risk of gun-related accidents. We also believed that the process undertaken to promulgate the regulation was flawed because the Bush Administration failed to complete a review of the regulation’s potential environmental impacts as required by law.

The American public also largely opposed the Bush regulation. All told, of the 140,000 people who voiced their positions on this issue during the comment period, 73 percent opposed allowing loaded, concealed firearms in our national parks.

On March 19, the U.S. District Court ruled overwhelmingly in support of the lawsuit filed by the Association of National Park Rangers, the Coalition of National Park Retirees, and NPCA, and issued an injunction against the implementation of the regulation. The judge found that the Bush Administration’s process was “astoundingly flawed” because they “abdicated their [National Environmental Policy Act] obligations” and “ignored substantial information in the administrative record concerning environmental impacts.”

The Reagan-era regulation, which NPCA supports, is effective once more.

At the court’s direction, the Obama Administration reported on April 17 that it would not appeal the courts decision, but would conduct an environmental impact statement on the effects of the rule and develop a range of alternatives. [...]

UPDATE: May 14, 2009 — A dangerous and misguided rider has been attached to the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 (H.R.627)‬‪‪‬ that will allow individuals to openly carry assault rifles, shotguns, and semi-automatic weapons in national parks if the firearm is in compliance with State law. As a result, individuals could attend ranger led hikes and campfire programs carrying loaded firearms at Yellowstone National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and many other national park units across the country.

Sadly, the U.S. Senate disregarded the concerns of national park rangers and former Park Service directors who want American families and wildlife to remain safe in our national parks. Click here to see how your Senator voted.

NPCA believes that shotguns and rifles have no place in our national parks and are currently hard at work trying to have this rider stricken.

Now the bill goes back to the House, where a vote is imminent. Please contact your Representative and urge him or her to oppose Coburn’s rider. It’s worth noting that this legislation has been introduced, on its own, previously – where it’s been soundly defeated. Now that it’s become part of a more popular bill, its supporters – the NRA, Republicans and, yes, even some Democrats – may be successful in sneaking it through. In which case, Dog help America’s wild-living non-human animals, who already exist under constant siege from their human counterparts.

If you’d like to take action on this issue, the NPCA helpfully provides a sample letter here. Please also consider calling your Representative; you can search for contact information here.

By the by, this just goes to show why having a Democratic majority in the House and/or Senate isn’t good enough; if the Dems are so “moderate” that they’re practically Republicans, what’s the bloody point?

Go Green, is what I’m sayin’.

Updated to add:

The Wilderness Society has also begun a campaign on this issue; you can view their sample letter and talking points here.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts npca national parks conservation association environment parks national parks tom coburn rider nra guns firearms wildlife conservation poaching Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights credit card credit card reform politics blue dog democrats sneaky cnn video video blogging

American Freedom Campaign (AFC): Tell Congress: No More Warrantless Wiretapping!
Tell Congress to reverse its decision to grant President Bush more unchecked power to wiretap without a warrant.

In Defense of Animals (IDA): City of Vallejo Sells Elephants to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
“Take Action” to tell Washington Redskins owner to stop fumbling the ball when it comes to elephants’ lives

In Defense of Animals (IDA): House Votes to Temporarily Ban Horse Slaughter
Urge Senate to shut U.S. horse slaughter plants down now and forever

In Defense of Animals (IDA): Tell National Wildlife Refuge to Curb Consumptive Recreation
“Take Action” to urge Fish and Wildlife Service to ban hunting, fishing, and trapping at Lake Umbagog

Oceana: Thanks ERCO!
ERCO Worldwide, the number one mercury polluter in Wisconsin, announced that it would go mercury-free

Oil Change International: Take Action: Tell Congress to End Oil Aid!
Our foreign assistance funds should be used to help developing countries move towards a clean energy future, not underwrite some of the richest corporations in the world

The People’s Email Network (PEN): TELL CONGRESS TO STOP FOOLING AROUND AND START IMPEACHING
Tell Congress To Stop Fooling Around and Start IMPEACHING

Carnivals

Carnival of Hurricane Relief #100 (August 9, 2007 @ Neadle Work)

Newsletters

The Animals Voice eNewsletter, August 9, 2007
AnimalsVoice.com is the premiere online resource for animal rights and its defenders

Audubon: Audubon Advisory: Vol 2007 Issue 8: August 9, 2007
Action Outcomes, FYI, and What’s Coming

In Defense of Animals (IDA): IDA eNews: 8-08-07
IDA Action Alerts, Campaign News & Updates

National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA): Park Lines, August 2007
Unnatural Disaster: Global Warming and Our National Parks & more

Petitions

Oppose fur trapping at Lake Umbagog NWRefuge

HELP SKYE BORTOLI SAVE THE WHALES

PROTECT FLORIDA WETLANDS IN PORT ST. LUCIE – STOP PAVING PARADISE!

Your Daily Click-Through Reminders

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New EPA Rule Means More Pollution for Parks

Al Gore knows it. The polar bears know it. All the world knows- Global Warming is happening. Now that we’ve come to grips with it, everyone is doing their part. Everyone, that is, except the EPA. In fact, instead of working to curb global warming and other pollutants from coal-fired power plants, EPA is trying to make it easier for them to set up shop near our national parks. EPA’s proposed rule would invite coal-fired power plants to emit more pollution into our national parks and other treasured places. Take a minute to tell the EPA just what you think about this proposed rule.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts NPCA National Parks Conservation Association EPA environmental protection agency pollution climate change global warming public parks national parks coal coal-fired power plants

Spring Cleaning for National Parks

What will you see the next time you visit a national park? A scenic view, magnificent wildlife, or smog from nearby power plants?

Coal-fired power plants are the number one cause of the air pollution threatening our parks. And Congress has the power to tighten emissions standards for power plants.

As many of us start spring cleaning in our homes, why not give the air in our national parks a spring cleaning? Tell Congress to clean up power plant pollution and keep new power plants away from our national parks!

Click here to send your “Spring Cleaning for National Parks” e-card to Congress.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts NPCA National Parks Conservation Association spring cleaning pollution coal power plants Coal-fired power plants national parks climate change global warming

Here’s a similar alert, this time from the National Parks Conservation Association:

America’s First National Park at a Crossroads

Ten million dollars. That’s how much has been spent on scientific studies that clearly demonstrate that Yellowstone’s air quality, peace and quiet, and wildlife would be best protected if snowmobiles were replaced with the expanded public access offered by modern snowcoaches. So why is Yellowstone National Park proposing to allow daily snowmobile limits to continue at 720 snowmobiles per day–nearly triple the current daily average of 250? Make sense to you? We didn’t think so, either. Nearly 300,000 people have vocally demonstrated their opposition to snowmobile use in Yellowstone. Sound science backs up that public outcry. Most importantly, the policy that guides park managers on resource protection says the park service must select the ‘least impacting’ forms of transportation for parks. Snowmobiles in Yellowstone violates park policy, rebuke science and directly ignore public sentiment. A decision in favor of continued snowmobile use could have devastating results on Yellowstone’s resources, wildlife and, visitor experience. Tell the Park Service that you want to put the issue of snowmobile use in Yellowstone to bed once and for all.

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Via The Wilderness Society:

Yellowstone Deserves Better

Despite repeated and conclusive studies that show that snowmobiles add to air and noise pollution and disturb wildlife in Yellowstone, the Bush Administration is proposing to allow up to triple the current permitted number of snowmobiles into America’s first national park.

Tell the Park Service to mind the science, and protect Yellowstone. Together, we can stop this nonsensical scheme.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts the wilderness society yellowstone snowmobiles bush george bush gw bush george w. bush national park pollution wildlife conservation National Parks Conservation Association npca