Harris County Precint 5 Park - Bear Creek

[TEX]

Use to run quite a bit a Bear Creek Park, but had not been there in several years. Went there the other day but could not stay because they had brand new shiny "Federal Property - No Firearms Allowed" signs up. Maybe they have always been there and I never noticed, but these looked very new. I guess it is Corps of Engineer property where my tax dollars are being spent to maintain the place that I am no longer welcome. Any one have any information on this.

[JustSomeOldGuy]

from Wikipedia.org;

Between 1946 and 1948, the Addicks Reservoir was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to prevent a repetition of the sort of disastrous flooding that Houston experienced in 1935.[3] Bear Creek Pioneers Park occupies a portion of this reservoir. The park land had previously been occupied since the 1840s by mostly German immigrant farmers and their descendants. Harris County leased 2,154 acres (8.72 km2) of the reservoir in 1965 and began to develop the park.

[NotRPB]

Seems on some of the roads running through it, you'd need to meet someone on this side, disarm, hand your gun to a buddy who'd drive your firearm around the park on alternate roads, and give it back to you on the other side like on N Eldridge, or 6 ...
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bear+ ... 95.6149791

[Skiprr]

Use to run quite a bit a Bear Creek Park, but had not been there in several years. Went there the other day but could not stay because they had brand new shiny "Federal Property - No Firearms Allowed" signs up. Maybe they have always been there and I never noticed, but these looked very new. I guess it is Corps of Engineer property where my tax dollars are being spent to maintain the place that I am no longer welcome. Any one have any information on this.

You betcha. I've lived near Bear Creek Park for over 15 years. It is very much Army Corps of Engineer property. I really wish I could run there armed.

A huge swath of West Houston is ACOE property. Check Google Maps to be astounded.

[TreyHouston]

Sounds like a perfect place for girls to run! As i always say, publicly anounce that this is a unarmed zone... Classic goverment mentality....

[Tass]

FYI: George Bush Park on Hwy 6/Westheimer is also COE property. American Shooting Center is the exception. And it's Precinct Three, Commissioner Radak (Constable Pct. 5 patrols).

[Nukemm33]

Doesn't the newly passed H.R. 2028 (Law No. 114-254) cover CHL carry on ACOE land? I think I read that this will allow it...

[txyaloo]

Doesn't the newly passed H.R. 2028 (Law No. 114-254) cover CHL carry on ACOE land? I think I read that this will allow it...

I don't see anything about firearms or concealed carry in the text.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-con ... /2028/text

The COE is mentioned 7 times and only with respect to funding.

[NotRPB]

That was 2012 budget that had amendment to not allow funds to be used for enforcement ... I think... I could be wrong
http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=52619

NRA ILA website Passage of H.R. 2028 Includes Right-to-Carry on Army Corps Land Provision
Friday, May 1, 2015
https://www.nraila.org/articles/2015050 ... -provision

Judge Strikes Down Gun Ban on Army Corps of Engineers’ Land
January 13, 2014
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/0 ... eers-land/

Senate rejected an effort Wednesday to expand the use of firearms
May 08, 2013
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/08/se ... ntrol.html

http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=66764

seems it was vetoed and any chance at LTC in ACoE is gone.

Briefly brought up here, but fizzled out:

http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=77450

I've been digging in the text, and can't find any mention of firearms, pistols, or rifles in the bill yet. Perhaps it got removed. Lots of discussion in various places last year, and the only text reference I found (from some North Carolina board) has been removed.

ETA: Found this:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/defaul ... 150428.pdf

It seems it was vetoed and any chance at LTC in ACoE is gone.

ETA: And found this, last post:

http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic. ... 29&t=84950

http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=85078

[Nukemm33]

That's really unfortunate. I was almost robbed in a more remote part of the park waiting for some friends to show up. After that, I never went without my carry gun. I just found out this was ACOE land today because of the sign posted. Guess I'll have to just be more careful where I go in the park.

[Nukemm33]

Thanks NotRPB. That last link had to comparison between the two versions and showed what was removed. Hopefully someone else will try again in the near future. It doesn't make sense to not be able to carry in these type of areas.

[Take Down Sicko]

I.m thinking the west side of hwy 6 is part of the Katy prairie not that it makes any difference.

[locke_n_load]

Is there an easy way to tell if park land is owned by COE without using google?

[Vol Texan]

Is there an easy way to tell if park land is owned by COE without using google?

I don't know how accurate this site is, but it does give a good idea of boundaries of some key areas around us. You can see individual HOAs, neighborhoods, parks, etc., just by hovering over it with the mouse.

I have no idea how well it works on a tablet or phone. I only use it on my PC.

http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=29.75 ... 5&z=13&m=b

[Skiprr]

Is there an easy way to tell if park land is owned by COE without using google?

I'm not aware of a truly easy way to confirm to confirm land/lake ownership, associated easements, and permitted recreational use without looking up a particular location. Here's a link to the ACOE locations launch page: http://www.usace.army.mil/Locations.aspx.

As you can see from the map, Texas is divvied up among the South Pacific Division and the Southwestern Division, covered by management offices in Albuquerque, Tulsa, DFW, and Galveston. Here's a link to information about the 24 ACOE-owned lakes managed out of the Ft. Worth District, but that doesn't show the district's Real Estate Division, Reservoir Operations, or Coasts and Ports.

The Bear Creek area discussed here (actually referred to as the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs) is managed out of the Galveston District Office, and here is a PDF file of the area's master plan as published in 2009. A summary of ACOE permitted recreational uses of Addicks/Barker is available at this link, but to get a detailed brochure you have to pick it up at the Addicks Project Office, or telephone and ask them to send it to you.

But Addicks/Barker is a good example that you have drill down into all the available info for a particular location. The Addicks and Barker Reservoir areas are governed by federal law (Title 36, Chapter III, Part 327), which includes: "327.13 Possession of loaded firearms, ammunition, projectile firing devices, bows and arrows, and explosives of any kind is prohibited." However, we all know that ACOE agrees to lease land in George Bush Park to American Shooting Centers...located on Shooting Center Drive, no less. Clear evidence that the ACOE makes case-by-case decisions about permitted use on their lands, lakes, or waterways.