NPS WANTS GUNS IN CARS TO BE UNLOADED

The federal government makes a big target for critics. Taxpayers complain about taxes. Business owners complain about regulations. Constituents complain about their representation in Congress. And on and on.

The reach of the federal government is broad. There is hardly a spot in the country that doesn't have some form of bureaucratic involvement. And this gives rise to even more opportunities for complaints.

Remember the National Park Service's handling of the so-called wild horse situation in the Ozark Scenic Riverways area near Eminence a few years ago? At that time, the conclusion was reached that horses that had roamed the hills for decades since open-range laws were in effect had become an environmental nuisance. But the horses had their supporters too, and eventually it took -- literally -- an act of Congress to get the park service to back down and leave the free-roaming horses alone.

That episode was picked up by any number of critics of the federal government as a gross example of Washington's interference.

Another episode has replaced the horses: carrying loaded firearms in vehicles that visit the riverways area managed by the National Park Service.

To hear the critics tell it, the NPS had taken up Gestapo tactics to confiscate firearms from folks. For those who support the Second Amendment right to bear arms -- this newspaper included -- it sounded like the heavy hand of the federal government had clamped down a little too hard.

As a result, a small group of agitators began spreading the word that the feds were up to their old tricks. So many people were alarmed that nearly 1,000 of them showed up for a meeting where their gun-carrying sentiments were further inflamed.

It turned out, though, that the facts were much less sinister. The Code of Federal Regulations, which covers activities in areas managed by the NPS, prohibits the carrying of loaded weapon in a vehicle. The code allows hunting with the proper permits.

In an effort to enforce the code, the NPS set up a check station on the road leading to one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area, Big Spring State Park near Van Buren. Last fall, 10 citations were issued, up from the usual two or three per year. Loaded firearms were held by the NPS until the cases were resolved, either by appearing in federal court or forwarding a penalty payment to Atlanta.

In the end, the NPS was enforcing a regulation that is intended to protect the thousands of visitors to some of the prettiest and most popular areas of the country. Law-abiding citizens who take unloaded guns into the nation's park lands aren't in danger of becoming victims of the federal government after all.