Congress Can't Do It But A Park Superintendent Can?

In light of Superintendent Kevin Schneider's scheduled appearance at the Otero County Work Session, I thought it prudent to go back and see if Mr. Schneider has changed anything in the way of policy since Cliff Spencer. Please feel free to use labels section in the lower right hand corner to access previous postings on White Sands National Monument (WSNM).

http://www.nps.gov/whsa/parkmgmt/lawsandpolicies.htm

At the WSNM website you will find in the left hand upper left a tab entitled Management. Click on that and be directed to a section where you can click on Laws & Policies and Cultural Landscapes Inventory. Under Laws & Policies you can go to Superintendent's Compendium and you will find:

Section 2.51 Public Assemblies and Meetings
(a) Permits are required for any public assemblies, meetings, gatherings or other public
expressions of views in the monument. Locations of the event must be included in the
permit and approved by the Superintendent. Written applications for permits must be
submitted to the Superintendent at least 72 hours prior to the date desired for the event.
(c) The Superintendent must issue or deny a public assembly request within two business
days.
(d) If the Superintendent denies a permit, the applicant must be informed in writing of the
reason(s) for the denial.
(e) All areas inside the Monument are available for 1st amendment requests unless excluded
here and shown on appendix B. The following locations are not available:
· Inside any building.
· The patio area between the Visitor Center and Gift Shop.
9
· Within 25’ of the entrance to the Visitor Center, Nature Center, Administrative
Office or Gift Shop.
· Residential area.
· On or within 25’ of roadway.

Scroll down to Appendix for diagrams of "First Amendment Activities Excluded/Prohibited In Red Areas".

On the lighter side, but not much because of the implications, horse trailers can only be parked in Area 34 or otherwise stipulated by law enforcement. Whew, I thought it was a mighty long ride from the Northeast 30 where a horse corral was built by a "private horse club" to where you can park your trailer.

I could and will go on and on in future posts, but for now I ask the question who gave any Superintendent the authority to exclude or prohibit First Amendment Rights? And can this be answered without hairsplitting the differences between laws, policies, regulations? I think not but that does not prevent me from trying to let you know what is going on. In closing,

"The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws "respecting an establishment of religion" or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, laws that infringe the freedom of speech, infringe the freedom of the press, limit the right to peaceably assemble, or limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. ..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution