Get a drone for Christmas? Don’t bring it to national parks — or else, rangers warn
Drones can capture awe-inspiring aerial photos and video of beautiful landscapes — just don’t try flying them in United States national parks, rangers warn.
“Did you or a loved one get a drone this week?” park rangers from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in Central California wrote in a Facebook post after Christmas. “We get it, drones are fun, but it is illegal to fly them in national parks.”
And the penalties can be stiff.
Violating the ban on unmanned aircraft in national parks “is a misdemeanor with the maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine,” according to the National Park Service.
“We and National Park Service Fire and Aviation Management ask when you come visit your national parks, keep your drone at home and leave the flying to the birds,” the Sequoia and Kings Canyon rangers wrote in the post on Friday, which was shared more than 100 times within hours.
Why you might see legal drones in national parks
Some unmanned aerial vehicles hovering in U.S. national parks are perfectly legal.
“The National Park Service uses unmanned aircraft for administrative purposes when appropriate and approved by the director of the region in which the park is located,” rangers explained. “These purposes may include search and rescue operations, fire operations, scientific study, and aerial photography.”
Rangers also said an exception to the anti-drone rule is if “an unmanned aircraft pilot obtains special permission” from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Why were drones banned in national parks?
Back in 2014, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis signed a policy memo telling park superintendents across the U.S. to bar “launching, landing, or operating unmanned aircraft on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service,” the agency said in a news release at the time.
“We embrace many activities in national parks because they enhance visitor experiences with the iconic natural, historic and cultural landscapes in our care,” Jarvis said. “However, we have serious concerns about the negative impact that flying unmanned aircraft is having in parks, so we are prohibiting their use until we can determine the most appropriate policy that will protect park resources and provide all visitors with a rich experience.”
By that point, some parks had already banned drones on their own, according to the National Park Service. But the decision for a blanket ban across all national parks came after the spread of recreational drones caused several concerning incidents at parks.
A drone flying at South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore threatened visitors’ safety and was confiscated in 2013, and the next year volunteers at Utah’s Zion National Park “witnessed an unmanned aircraft disturb a herd of bighorn sheep, reportedly separating adults from young animals,” park rangers said.
“I needed to sort of draw the line,” Jarvis said, according to NBC.
Places drones can fly
There are plenty of other parks where drone operators can fly their aircraft, including California state parks, according to the state Department of Parks and Recreation.
Still, “drone users should always check with their local State Park District for any specific posted orders,” California officials said, adding that “posted orders may prohibit drones for numerous reasons, including: protection of threatened species; threats to cultural and natural resources; high fire danger; public safety; recreational conflicts; impacts upon visitor experience privacy; and park unit classification.”
Remotely-controlled aircraft are also allowed on a limited basis at state parks in Washington, though fliers are required to apply for a permit two months in advance, according to state officials.
Canada prohibits all drone use at its national parks — and with the threat of penalties even heftier than in the U.S.
“Anyone caught operating a drone within park boundaries and without an approved permit may result in law enforcement action and a fine of up to $25,000,” Canadian rangers said. That’s the equivalent of just over $19,000 in U.S. currency as of December 2019.
This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Get a drone for Christmas? Don’t bring it to national parks — or else, rangers warn."
