Interior Department Opens Public Comment Period on Proposed Park
and Refuge Firearm Regulations

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne has announced the beginning of a 60-day public comment period on updates to regulations regarding the carrying of firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. The proposed update to existing regulations would allow an individual to carry a concealed weapon in national parks and wildlife refuges, if and only if, the individual is permitted to carry a concealed weapon and is authorized to do so on similar state lands in the state in which the national park or refuge is located.

Existing regulations regarding the carrying of firearms remain otherwise unchanged, particularly limitations on poaching and target practice and prohibitions on carrying firearms in federal buildings.

“The safety and protection of park and refuge visitors remains a top priority for the Department of the Interior,” said Secretary Kempthorne. “The proposed regulations will incorporate current state laws authorizing the possession of concealed firearms, while continuing to maintain important provisions to ensure visitor safety and resource protection.” more

• Additional Information
• Comment on Proposed Rules

Secretary Kempthorne delivered the keynote remarks at the Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit in Knoxville, TN on Monday, April 28, 2008.  Following his remarks, Susan Whitaker Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, presented Secretary Kempthorne with a book on the Smoky Mountains.Hi-Res

Secretary Kempthorne Addresses
Great Smoky Mountains
Sustainable Tourism Summit

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne presented the keynote address at the Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tenn on Monday, April 28. During his remarks, Secretary Kempthorne highlighted three National Park Centennial Challenge projects and programs that will soon get underway at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The National Park Centennial Challenge is an innovative program in which federal funding is used to match philanthropic contributions for the benefit of our national parks as we approach the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service.

The Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit is a partnership effort of the states of Tennessee and North Carolina and the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations, The University of Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. The Summit has been primarily designed for the Great Smoky Mountains gateway communities, but the principles and best practices discussed can benefit any community wishing to incorporate sustainability in its tourism industry. Sustainable tourism is defined as sustaining the environment and historical and cultural heritage of a region, while simultaneously sustaining the economic growth of that region. more

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About the Department of the interior
The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the nation’s principal conservation agency. Interior is a large, decentralized agency with over 80,000 employees and 180,000 volunteers located at approximately 2,400 operating locations across the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and freely associated states. more
Mission Statement	History
Key Officials	Past Secretaries
Organizational Chart	Quick Facts
DOI In the News	Strategic Plan
DOI en Español	Interior Library
Below are links to some DOI sites that may be of interest:
Water	Science
Floods	Astrogeology at USGS
Supply in the West	Hurricanes
Conservation	Earthquakes
Resources	Energy
Land	Wildlife
Fire	Endangered Species
Maps	Habitats & Conservation
Parks / Refuges / BLM Lands	Wild Horse & Burro Adoption
Offshore Lands/Volcanoes	Duck Stamps
Communities	InfoLinks
Special Trustee	www.HealthyForests.gov
Indian Trust	Avian Influenza Information
Territories and Islands	2005 Hurricane Recovery