Rule eases gun ban in national parks

WASHINGTON — Some visitors to most national parks and wildlife refuges soon will be allowed to carry loaded weapons under a plan given final approval Friday by the Bush administration.

The administration said it is overturning a 25-year-old federal rule that severely restricts loaded guns in national parks.

Under a rule to take effect in January, visitors will be able to carry a loaded gun into a park or wildlife refuge, but only if the person has a permit for a concealed weapon and if the state where the park or refuge is located also allows concealed firearms.

The Interior Department rule overturns a Reagan-era regulation that has restricted loaded guns in parks and wildlife refuges. The previous regulation required that firearms be unloaded and placed somewhere not easily accessible, such as in a car trunk.

The decision means people with the proper permits will be able to carry guns into Washington state's national parks and wildlife refuges, including Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades national parks. That's because Washington allows people to carry concealed weapons.

But a lot of visitors from outside Washington won't be able to pack a gun because Washington only recognizes concealed-weapons permits from a handful of states with requirements as stringent. That's just eight states, the closest of which is Utah.

The other states that issue concealed-weapons permits that carry over to Washington are Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Oklahoma.

Seattle Times reporter Warren Cornwall contributed to this report.