U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publishes request for comment on proposed revision to regulation governing possession of firearms

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) today published in the Federal Register a request for comments on a proposed revision to its regulation governing the possession and transportation of firearms at USACE-managed Water Resources Development Projects.

Comments may be submitted one of the following ways on or before June 12, 2020:

• The Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov. The docket number is COE-2018-0008. Instructions for submitting comments are provided on the portal.
• E-mail: Firearms@usace.army.mil. Include the docket number, COE-2018-0008, in the subject line of the message.
• Mail: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CECW-CO-N, Steve Austin, 3F68, 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20314-1000

The proposed revision to Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 327.13 will align USACE regulations with those of other federal land management agencies and will more appropriately reflect the requirements of current state and local laws authorizing the possession of firearms by individuals. The revision will also eliminate the requirement for individuals to obtain written permission from a District Commander to carry a firearm on USACE-managed lands and waters.

Since the last amendment of this regulation in 2000, many states have passed laws or amended existing laws to provide for the carrying of firearms by private individuals, in particular for self-defense purposes. In addition, the firearm regulations of other federal land management agencies have been amended in recent years to make them more consistent with the law of the state in which the federal lands are located. The current regulation prohibits the possession of firearms unless being used for hunting, at authorized shooting ranges, or if written permission has been received from the District Commander.

USACE is one of the nation’s largest federal providers of outdoor recreation, managing more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 states. For information on USACE recreation sites and activities, please visit www.CorpsLakes.us.