Is It Legal to Fly a Drone in a National Forest

It would also make great economic sense for national parks to fly drones in national airspace. As of fiscal 2017, NPS has estimated that $11.6 billion is required to maintain the backlog. Certainly, flying drones can be a good source of income, even if the NPS cannot collect photo permits. I think most people know it`s illegal. Can you imagine someone owning a drone taking it to places like Arches or Yosemite? Flying your drone in national parks, forests, or wilderness areas has different rules: Pro tip – Often, drone pilots who don`t know they`re in a national park aren`t following the law. You don`t want to be that guy. Check your airspace and know where the parking limits are. Often there are plenty of cool places to fly outside of popular areas. Be sure to watch the surgery course to learn how to take off secretly. While these regulations don`t necessarily target flying drones, you can certainly see how they could be enforced under the right circumstances.

You can fly a drone primarily in national forests as long as you do so responsibly and in accordance with FAA guidelines. NPS issued Policy Note 14-05 on June 19, 2014. It was issued as draft guidance, but is still in effect with a few exceptions, according to the NPS website. This policy prohibits the take-off, landing and operation of unmanned aircraft on land and in waters managed by the NPS, including national parks, national monuments, national recreation areas, national historic sites, national coasts, national memorials and others. These websites appear in the Aloft app and the B4UFLY app as places where drone flights are clearly prohibited. That is another interesting question. There is a lot of national forest land governed by the United States. Forest Service and is not subject to National Park Service restrictions on drone flight. And if you`re caught flying without your permission, National Park Service rangers have the power to confiscate your equipment. Not to mention the maximum penalty, which can be up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. It is ironic that while obtaining a flight permit in a national park is almost impossible, NPS can fly drones in a national park itself. NPS says now: Fortunately, it is possible for drone pilots to fly in national forests.

Unlike national parks (which are controlled by the Ministry of the Interior), national forests fall under the jurisdiction of the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). The following excerpt illustrates the USDA`s position on commercial film and photo permits – Nevertheless, I believe you should respect this restriction. Although the Wilderness Act was introduced to minimize the impact of piloted vehicles on these terrains, the other part of the equation here is that people go into wilderness areas to get away from everything. I don`t think it`s too much to ask to fly your drone somewhere else. When you look at how much land in the national forest counts as wilderness, it`s not much. So it looks like you can fly your drone, even as a Part 107 drone pilot, as long as you`re filming in a place where the public is allowed and you don`t use “models, props.” If you plan to do any of these things, you will need a special use permit. Of course, all drone operators must also comply with Federal Aviation Administration drone regulations when operating a drone anywhere in the United States. California and Washington state are good examples of states that have frequently found restrictions on UAS operations in their parks. On their websites, California and Washington state generally allow RC aircraft, or UAS, in their state parks. In practice, due to numerous restrictions and requirements and powers granted to local park administration, it is not permitted or easy to use UAS in these parks. A good example of this is that the city of San Francisco in California has rules against operating drones in local parks.

This means that the takeoff and landing of a UAS in a San Francisco park is limited. Here you can see a screenshot of the B4UFLY app that reflects these limitations in a local park in the San Francisco area. Aloft continues to engage more cities, states, and countries to include their data in the B4UFLY app to enhance the authoritative global database for safe and compliant drone flight. This is a point of contention for many drone pilots. The Wilderness Act, drafted in 1964, aimed to set aside certain areas of land and leave them in their most natural state. Planning to take some great drone photos at the Grand Canyon this weekend? The temptation is understandable – there is nothing more beautiful than capturing nature in its finest splendor from the sky. Unfortunately, you can`t put your plan into action. National parks were classified as “drone free” areas in 2014. And flying here means severe penalties.

For drone pilots, this is a big missed opportunity – the NPS controls about 417 parks, 23 hiking trails and 60 rivers. At this point, I have only heard that it is possible. I have never seen an exemption for a commercial drone pilot. The National Park Service authorizes approval of commercial photography and videography, and the cost of this permit depends on the size of your operation. But again, I`ve never seen this applied to drone flights. I was surprised to learn that while battery-powered, environmentally friendly drones are banned in national parks, noisy ORVs (off-road vehicles) are not a problem. Sand strollers and ATVs are classified as ORVs. Many states have adopted the 96 dB rule for ATVs.

This means that an ATV cannot be stronger than 96 dB. Now, drones are less noisy than ATVs. The Phantom 4, for example, is no stronger than 70 dB when it is 6 m away. And if you fly your drone at 100 to 150 feet, you can expect much less noise pollution. The recently introduced Phantom 4 V2 is known to be much quieter than its predecessors. According to the NPS website, PHEVs also pose other hazards. Liquids leaking from PHEVs can, for example, poison fish and other animals. PHEVs can also destroy plants and beach dunes. Read this article for more details on flying drones around Lake Tahoe.

Because although drones are not allowed in national parks, according to the U.S. Forest Service, there are no restrictions when it comes to flying a drone in a national forest. U.S. Forest Service guidelines prohibit drones from taking off or landing in designated wilderness areas, but drones are generally legal in other parts of national forests. Drones are banned in national parks. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you contact the respective forestry office where you wish to fly and confirm that the area is indeed a national forest and not a national park and that there are no local restrictions. The short answer is no. In 2014, the National Park Service issued Policy Memorandum 14-05, which states that “the take-off, landing or operation of an unmanned aircraft from or on land and water managed by the National Park Service within [insert park name] is prohibited unless authorized in writing by the Superintendent.” In 2017, the FAA extended this restriction to fly a drone within 400 feet of the boundaries of 10 national monuments and other national monuments. The full list of restricted locations can be found here. To fly your drone in a national park, you need a special use permit. This permit can only be granted for purposes such as search and rescue, search and fire safety. However, it is almost impossible to obtain this permit.

As there was a recent Supreme Court ruling that NPS cannot charge visitors for photo and/or special use permits. To clarify, special use permits are still in place, they simply no longer charge fees for them. Stay away from private land. They run the risk of being shot (although illegal) and/or fined and arrested. In general, the launch and landing of a UAS is prohibited in areas managed by the National Park Service and in wilderness areas managed by various federal agencies such as the Forest Service and the Office of Land Management.