Washington, Feb 15 -

Representative Charles H. Taylor has called upon the United State Department of the Interior to recognize and respect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Taylor has signed onto a letter with two of his colleagues in the Congress, Senator Conrad Burns of Montana and Representative Richard Pombo of California, which requests the Department of the Interior to allow conceal carry permits in the National Parks within states that allow conceal carry permits.

National Park Service regulations on this subject are very restrictive. The regulations generally prohibit possessing, carrying or using any firearm except in designated target shooting areas and residential dwellings, or when unloaded and “rendered temporarily inoperable” or “packed, cased or stored in a manner that will prevent their ready use.” Due the vast wilderness in many of our national parks, this regulation means that citizens will be without protection in case of a dire emergency. Despite the hard work of the National Park Service police, there is simply too much land for constant policing. In these instances, the right to self protection is a necessity. Also, park boundaries are often unclear and individuals can’t easily determine which rules apply. This creates a high risk of inadvertent violation and unjust prosecution.

“While I realize that these regulations are in place to prevent unauthorized hunting and poaching, I believe this issue comes down to self –protection and the protection of the Second Amendment,” Taylor said. “Why should a law-abiding North Carolinian who has gone through all the detailed paperwork, safety training and background check to receive a conceal carry permit be banned from using that permit, in necessary instances, as soon as he crosses onto federal lands? The Second Amendment was not written with geographic limitations or boundaries in mind.”

"Congressman Taylor is a loyal and steadfast supporter of freedom and the National Rifle Association. We’ve worked with Congressman Taylor for over 30 years on issues important to preserving the Second Amendment and also on efforts to foster America’s hunting heritage. The NRA has the highest regard for this gentleman from North Carolina’s 11th District," said Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist

Taylor has not yet received a response from his letter, but will continue to make sure that the Department of the Interior addresses this concern.