The Virginia Citizens Defense League supports the proposed regulation, BUT it should also include lawful open carry.  When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  We agree and want open carry to be legal in State Forests (we will be asking for the same changes to State Parks and DGIF lands in their appopriate venues).

When seconds count, police are just minutes (or Hours in a Park) away. People must be responsible for their own safety.  Thank you.  Ed

I support the rule change, but also want open carry to be legal as well.

I support the proposed rule with the addition of allowing open carry.

I support concealed carry but also want to see open carry be permissible in the State Forests.

There is no reason lawfully carried firearms shouldnt be allowed in state forests, and we really should get open carry too...

I support the rule change, but also want open carry to be legal

I support the rule change, and furthmore want Open Carry to be included.  When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  I agree and want open carry to be legal in State Forests. We have a right to defend ourselves.

I too support this but also support open carry

I fully support the proposed regulation, BUT it should also include lawful open carry. 

When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  We agree and want open carry to be legal in State Forests (we will be asking for the same changes to State Parks and DGIF lands in their appopriate venues).

Regards

Chris Peevy

One needs to be able to defend against threats, whether man or beast.  I strongly support this issue.  Thanks.

Susan and I support the rule change, but we also want open carry to be legal. It's a park -- what if we are wearing hiking shorts and t-shirts? Come on, folks.

I support concealed carry of firearms in State Forests.  I would also like to see open carry allowed too.

I support the rule change, but I also want open carry to be legal" .

Please support allowing both open and concealed carry in our state.

I support the rule change, but also want open carry to be legal!

I support the rule change to allowing guns to be carried in State Forests, but reques wording be included that clearly allows for open carry.

I support the rule change to allowing guns to be carried in State Forests, but reques wording be included that clearly allows for open carry.

The critical concern is illegal activity.  Criminals will not be affected by prohibitions of any sort.  We see this in every instance from criminal nations to individuals.  Indeed, criminals take advantage of the rule abiding whenever possible.   If the concern about open carry is that some might be more willing to commit a criminal act, such as poaching, I can hardly see how this would affect anything as poachers would then simply hide their guns...  In short, I don't see excluding open carry as logically defensible. 

I support the rule change, but also want open carry to be legal.

I do strongly support this move, but I also feel strongly that I should be able to carry openly if I so desire. Please consider adding this. Self defense is a basic human right.

I support the rule change to allowing guns to be carried in State Forests, but reques wording be included that clearly allows for open carry.

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It is great to see the National system coming in line with the Virginia State system, allowing concealed carry.  I frequently take my family to state parks, and it is comforting to have a sidearm for protection when out in the woods.  Please consider including the open carry of firearms, which is legal in Virginia, in your regulations.  Thank you.

I think the change should include open carry as well.

The federal position is that the rule for a national  park shall be the same as the rules of the state the park is in.  In Virginia Open Carry is legal.  Furthermore, Virginia has a pre-emption law, the purpose being to  protect lawful citizens from having to be mindful of a myriad of illogical exceptions when exercising their right to bear arms.  Why  should we go against that principal and rule of law in this case. If a law abiding citizen can walk down the street in  Fairfax City while open carrying then by what reasoning would we prohibit the same law abiding citizen from walking in a forest similarly armed?  Lets be self consistent!

I support the proposed regulation, BUT it should also include lawful open carry in the venues controlled by the Virginia Department of Forestry.

When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  I agree with the Governor's opinion and want open carry to be legal in State Forests. I also support making the same changes to State Parks and DGIF lands in their appopriate venues.

Thank you,

Howard S. Dobrin

I support the rule change but want to be able to open carry as well.

The carring of firearms in State Parks for ones own protection should not be only concelled, open carry should also be allowed. A strong deteriant is always better than a hiden defense. Yeah the animals won't know the deference, most of them though are already have respect  of man only man can have no respect for man. Like the security company's sign infront of your house, Open carry is an effective deterrent to the would bes.

I support the rule change concerning conceal carry of firearms, but I think open carried firearms should be legal also.

When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  I agree and want open carry to be legal in State Forests.

I support this rule change,   OPEN CARRY must be included and specifically be acknowledged as legal.

Nobody should be forced to be a helpless victim Open Carry is our ight as Americans and there is no reason that it sould not be allowed.

This agency is already aware of, and bound by, the Attorney General's opinion that open carry is a universal right throughout the Commonwealth except where prohibited by the General Assembly - and further, that this agency does not have the statutory authority to ban open carry.

Accordingly, this notice and comment rulemaking is the perfect opportunity to correct the agency's regulations - the regulations banning open carry are void and must be corrected as to open carry.

Correct the regulation change to conform to the AG opinion!

Mike Stollenwerk

co-founder, openCarry.org, a pro-gun Internet community with over 25,000 registered members

Honorable Lawmaker,

I agree with the rule change to allow concealed carry in our State Forrests, but would like you to also allow open carry. The same responsibilities that are required when carrying concealed is mirrored with open carry. Considering that our state allows open carry, why would you make an execption in our State Forrests? Open carry, when in the woods is more comfortable than concealed carry for the armed citizen. And don't forget, the forrests are filled with sportsmen who are used to seeing firearms so they are not shocked when they encounter someone openly carrying a sidearm. As a Federal Law Enforcement officer, I consider everyone I meet to be armed. I am more comfortable when I can see it, it takes the guesswork out of where the firearm is being carried. For the unarmed citizen, they become more familar with the proper carry of firearms and their safety. In the end, it is a win, win for everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to review and hear my comments.

V/R,

Luther Loughridge

This would be a great rule change and I fully support the change.  I also want open carry to be legal!

I support the rule change, but also want open carry to be legal.

I strongly agree with the following statement made by Phillip Van Cleave:

"The Virginia Citizens Defense League supports the proposed regulation, BUT it should also include lawful open carry.  When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  We agree and want open carry to be legal in State Forests"

I support the proposed regulation, BUT it should also include lawful open carry.  When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the

, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  I agree and want open carry to be legal in State Forests.

Open carry is legal in VA, so it should be allowed in forests as well.

I support the proposed regulation, but it should also include lawful open carry.  When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  We agree and want open  
carry to be legal in State Forests (we will be asking for the same  
changes to State Parks and DGIF lands in their appopriate venues).

I support open carry in State Forest, and hope to see it become legal. I am an avid outdoorsman.

I support the proposed regulation, BUT it should also include lawful open carry.

When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  Since I agree with the opinion, open carry should also be legal in State Forests.

I support this change in the regulations; however I would also like to see open carry included in the proposed change.

 I support, but want Open Carry as well

I wholeheartedly support the proposed regulation, BUT it should also include lawful open carry.  When the current  Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an  opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns.  We agree and want open carry to be legal in State Forests (we will be asking for the same changes to State Parks and DGIF lands in their appopriate venues).

All of Virginia's public land and facilities should be under the same rules and policies.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League supports the proposed regulation, BUT it should also include lawful open carry. When the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, was the Attorney General, he published an opinion that State Parks and other such state agencies did not have the power to ban openly carried handguns. We agree and want open carry to be legal in State Forests (we will be asking for the same changes to State Parks and DGIF lands in their appopriate venues).