Natchez Trace Parkway jurisdiction?

[Roadawg]

Question: A state highway crosses over the Natchez Trace Parkway but it doesn't intersect with the Natchez Trace Parkway. There are no ramps allowing access to or from the Natchez Trace Parkway from the state highway. Do Parkway Rangers have jurisdiction on top of the over-pass on the state highway? If so, can someone give me the CFR that covers this?

[DAL]

Does National Park land include the air rights over the park?

[StudChris]

Stop driving badly and you won't get tickets.

[DAL]

Stop driving badly and you won't get tickets.

Given that he is a state trooper, I think he is more interested in things like poaching and who has to take accident reports.

Roadawg:

My recollection (from maps in the Washington area) is that the parkways are in strips of land that are part of the park. A highway above that land would be within the park boundaries, which would at least provide the Park Police with concurrent jurisdiction over crimes committed there. However, traffic violations on the state highway might not be violations of federal law or regulations, because federal traffic regulations probably apply to the Parkway rather than the Park.

The regulations are in 36 CFR. I would look at 36 CFR § 1.2, 36 CFR Part 4, and 36 CFR § 7.43. Here is a link to the index: http://law.justia.com/us/cfr/title36/36cfrv1_02.html

[2971511]

36 Code of Federal Regulations, governs National PArk Service LE Rangers Authority. As for who has jurisdiction you would need to look at an NPS Park Boundary map to see for sure. I know in MD National Parks, even though a road crosses over a National Park, that road is not necessarily under NPS jurisdiction.


check this boundary map, if the area around the road is in green it MIGHT be under NPS boundaries. Or you can e-mail or call the prk and speak with the Chief aw Enforcement Ranger or Superintendent.

http://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm

[2971511]

Just looking at the map I would say that unless the road was Mississippi State Road #6 that runs thru Tupelo National Battlefield, no the NPS does not have jurisdiction, but that is just a SWAG based on the way the boundary map is laid out.

[StudChris]

Given that he is a state trooper, I think he is more interested in things like poaching and who has to take accident reports.

Heh, well you know what they say about assumptions. My bad.