I just read a Forest Service memo dated March 2008, that it is illegal to carry a handgun, in not only the BWCA, but the entire Superior National Forest without a Minnesota conceal/carry permit in your possession.

They will recognize permits from about a dozen other states, which I'll list tomorrow. (I left the memo in my shop)

It's going to be very interesting to see what will happen during the hunting season???

Now what's the sense in that???

Great Outdoors. Can you tell me where you found this. I'm kind of surprised that it went under the radar. Here's an update on National Parks carry.

From The G.O.A.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008


The Bush administration, after more than seven years, has finally issued
regulations permitting the carrying of firearms in national parks. Gun
owners will soon be able to carry firearms according to the laws of the
state in which the park is located.

While not perfect, the proposed regulations, which are likely to take effect
at the end of June 2008, represent a sharp contrast with the steadfast
refusal to allow for self-defense in national parks.

The bureaucrats responded after a crescendo of congressional activity.
Senator Tom Coburn has made efforts to put the matter before the Senate, and
would have done so had Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid not broken his word
to Coburn to allow him to have a vote on the measure. Also, 47 Senators
signed a letter to the Department of the Interior urging that the ban be
removed.

In the House, there are now three bills that would open national parks to
carrying firearms as regulated by the state in which the park is located.

The most recent bill, and the most comprehensive, is that of GOA Life Member
Paul Broun (R-GA), who was elected to Congress in July of last year. Rep.
Broun has introduced HR 5646, the "Protecting the Second Amendment and
Hunting Rights on Federal Lands Act of 2008."

This is not the time to slack off on our efforts. If congressional activity
got the Park Service bureaucrats to finally move, we need to keep the heat
on. We need to make sure they follow through.

Moreover, legislation is the more sure way of keeping concealed carry
"on
the books." Regulations could be changed the first day an anti-gun
president takes office.

Finally, Rep. Broun's legislation would go even further than the proposed
National Parks regulations. As we mentioned above, they are not perfect.
Among other things, it's not clear (in the proposed regs) whether or not an
individual will be able to engage in open carry on national park lands for
the purpose of self-defense. That would not even be questioned under the
Broun bill.

I have it at my shop, and made copies of it.
If you send me your e mail address, I'll send you one.
Apparently this wasn't supposed to be put in writing, and there was some serious discussion about it.
I got a copy from a person that saw it while picking up a permit, and took it.
A few have been contacting some political figures and the Forest Service is starting to back pedal, even denying it.
If I can figure how to do it, I'll scan the memo and get it on the forum along with an e mail address where you can voice your displeasure to Forest Service enforcement officer Chip Elkins.

G.O.--If you wouldn't mind, I would be interested in a copy. My Email is fey0001@go.century.edu. Thanks in advance...

Send me a copy of what you've got Jim.

robmaki@msn(dot)com

Me too. gunflintguide at gmail dot com. Thanks.

Got a call from the head of the Forest Service in Ely yesterday morning.

He stated that they didn't really mean what is written on the memo, and that it had come out of the Duluth office (but refused to give the name of the person who suggested it) and a new policy had been put in place.

Must have been some major political heat coming down, as he asked that any questions that we have should come to his office first, and he would be more than happy to answer them.

With this offer of total honesty and an eagerness to address any and all questions, I asked him who lit the Ham Lake fire, since it occurred over one year ago and the silence is deafening.

He took the oath of silence, and would not answer.

Good work Great Outdoors.The Ham Lake fire incident has always amazed me. I don't recall any fire in the U.S. that the Forest Service was involved in that a suspect or perpetrator wasn't named. Rumors at the time were that it was a USFS employee that started it accidentally. That was denied by the law enforcement people that I talked to. You would think that there would be some kind of investigation by the media.

gunflint - I posted something for you on the TC carry forum in RE to this that you posted. Let me know your thoughts.....

Great Outdoors,
You might have had better luck asking them who shot JFK and where Jimmy Hoffa is buried, instead of asking who lit the Ham Lake fire. They might even admit to UFOs before offering up a culprit.

You got that right.

Maybe I should have suggested giving another call to Rep. Oberstar and Senator Klobuchar's offices.

Sure got us a quick 24 hour (or less) response with the handgun memo!