Army Corps of Engineers Considers Reform of Second Amendment Rules

ammoland ^ | 27 March, 2017 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

After President Trump won election in November of 2016, I explained how a Trump administration could eliminate gun free zones in the Army Corps of Engineers. One of the options to do this was with a court ordered settlement agreed to by both sides.

Another method available to President Trump is a negotiated Court settlement. The ban on possession of weapons on land administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is being challenged in the Courts. Court cases in both the Ninth Circuit and in the Eleventh Circuit are active. A Trump administration could order the Corps of Engineers to negotiate a Court sanctioned settlement that would prohibit the Corps of Engineers from ever violating the Second Amendment again. Such Court sanctioned agreements have long been used to create law without congressional approval, law that is impossible to remove by regulatory means.

It appears that approach may be underway. From the washingtonpost.com:

The 9th Circuit case was ready for oral argument on March 6. But on March 2, the Corps filed a request to remove the oral argument from the calendar and to put the case into mediation. The motion explained: “The Army Corps of Engineers is reconsidering the firearms policy challenged in this case, as well as plaintiffs’ requests for permission to carry firearms on Army Corps property. This reconsideration has the potential to fully resolve plaintiffs’ objections.”

This does not show the Trump administration is behind this change of heart on the part of the Corps. But it seems likely a reversal of policy that occurs a couple of months after a change of administration might be related to that change. Mediation at the Ninth would allow

[marktwain]

It appears that a settlement reforming the Corps of Engineers rules, to renew the exercise of the Second Amendment on lands administered by the Corps of Engineer, is in progress. It is likely another fulfillment of a President Trump promise to eliminate "gun free" zones.

[alternatives?]

The settlement should include the Army giving $100 million dollars to the NRA. That’s the way the Democrats do it.

[vette6387]

“The ban on possession of weapons on land administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers”

Just WTF is “land administered by the Army Corps of Engineers?” Any land they “administer” should be summarily removed from their jurisdiction.”

[marktwain]

Most of it is lands obtained for the construction of dams, and lands for improvement of waterways for canals, levees, etc.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/oc/finding-access-corps-engineers-offers-new-public-land-map

[vette6387]

The Army Corps of Engineers

http://www.usace.army.mil/Careers.aspx

These bastards employ 32,000 people and they are HIRING! Trump needs to make major cuts here. Looks like serious “mission creep” to me.

[lakecumberlandvet]

“Just WTF is “land administered by the Army Corps of Engineers?”
___

I know in the case of Lake Cumberland the USACE controls the lake, the Wolf Creek Dam that impounds the lake, marinas, boat ramps and a big part of the land that borders the lake. Firearms are prohibited within all those areas.

[ctdonath2]

Locally, Lake Lanier is such an area: http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/Lake-Sidney-Lanier/
Having effectively built the lake, the Corps owns a narrow strip of land all around the lake along with several dozen docks/parks/campgrounds which it maintains. All but the buffer strip prominently declares “no guns” (backed by possibility of actual prosecution, being military property) despite being a social area with pathetically little security. I understand they want to discourage idiots from bringing deadly weapons into what is basically a playground, but by doing so they’re creating a crime-enablement zone.

[vette6387]

Out here in the SF Bay Area the ACOE are actively prosecuting people who have livestock ponds that have existed for decades insisting that they are “wetlands.”
And when I read that an arm of the US Army that was founded to do civil engineering stuff in support of our military has 32,000 mostly civilian employees and is hiring, I have to wonder if now is the time to consider disbanding them. The Military should not be managing civilian public works projects and the like. But then the other day I noticed that the group that collects the bridge tolls on Bay Area Bridges has signs at their “toll plazas” directing you to the “toll sergeant” so I guess everything has been militarized today. Who knew it took an “army” to collect bridge tolls!