Dear Sirs,

Please enact the proposed amendment to 4VAC10-30-170, which allows for the
otherwise lawful carry of firearms and ammunition in state forests!  This
amendment brings state forests into alignment with state parks, national parks,
and national forests.
 

Although the above text is taken from a suggestion from VCDL, I have a much more personnel interest in this matter.  My wife and I often take unstructured rides on our motor scooter.  When we ride, I normally carry a sidearm (I am a CHP holder) in case we happen upon rabid or aggressive animal.  So far, I have not had a reason to use it and hope I never do.  As we mostly ride the backroads of Virginia, we have occassionally ridden into a state forest before we realized exactlly where we were.  This put me in inadvertant violation of the current regulation and could have resulted in my arrest if I had been stopped by a law enforcement officer.  When we realize we are in that situation we leave the area immediately.  However, we would like to be able to explore those areas and remain legal, as the new regulation would allow.  I am NOT a VCDL member but do receive their alerts as a way of keeping abreast of the law and remaining legal.

Thank you for your consideration,

Lewis S. Pugh, Jr.