Since 2014 it's been against the law to fly drones in national parks without written permission from the National Park Service/NPS
Yellowstone National Park staff never was able to recover a drone that crashed into Grand Prismatic Spring back in 2014. And Yosemite National Park investigators were unable last year to find a drone pilot whose aircraft forced a park helicopter to land out of safety concerns. What if those who illegally fly their drones in parks are banned from the parks for life?
It's an idea a headline writer in South Africa had after the restriction was ignored by a photographer.
Kruger National Park in South Africa banned drones back in 2014 for "game viewing, filming, photography or any other purposes."
At the time, William Mabasa, the park's general manager for communications and marketing, said that, "We have had two incidents reported by tourists in the KNP recently of people flying such aircraft illegally, getting out of vehicles on undesignated areas, interfering in sightings; disturbing and stalking animals; only to feign innocence upon questioning. We would like to inform such people and other drone users that, should they be found flying them in the Park at any time, they will be arrested on the spot and their equipment will be seized."
Under South Africa's National Environmental Management Act, "it is illegal to fly below 2,500 feet above the highest point of any national park, including (Kruger), with any aircraft/drone without the express permission."
Against that background, a visitor showed up at Kruger earlier this month and was observed by other park visitors getting out of his vehicle with a drone, apparently intending to film wildlife at a waterhole. The other visitors notified park authorities, and South African Police officers and park protection service personnel were waiting at Kruger's Phalaborwa Gate when the drone pilot headed out of the park. They stopped him, searched his vehicle, and found a drone, which they confiscated.
“He explained that he did not go through his permit rules and was not aware of the ban on drones inside the park,” said Kruger spokesman Ike Phaahla.
“Flying such aircraft, getting out of vehicles on undesignated areas, interfering in sightings, and disturbing and stalking animals is illegal within the park and will bear consequences. We would like to inform wrongdoers and other drone users that, should they be found flying them in the park at any time, they will be arrested on the spot and their equipment will be seized,” said Mr. Phaahla.
While a story on sUAS News carried a headline saying the individual was banned from Kruger for life, park officials on Thursday told the Traveler that the headline was wrong and the photographer was not banned from Kruger for life. But he did lose his drone.
While the U.S. National Park Service also bans drone flights in the park system without specific permission, it does not ban pilots found to violate the restriction, though they can be fined $5,000 and sentenced to six months in jail.
The drone that crashed into Grand Prismatic Spring is still there, though expected to slowly disintegrate.
"It is still in place and will likely break down over time," the public affairs staff said Wednesday. "No one is sure how long that process will take. Recovery could have done more damage, and safety concerns were a factor, too."
Along with the incidents in Yellowstone and Yosemite, there was one in Zion National Park in 2014 in which a drone was reportedly harassing wildlife, other incidents in Yellowstone, a report of a drone hovering over grizzlies in Grand Teton National Park, and more than a few instances, at least, of drones flying around the Washington Monument, and an incident at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in which a ranger had to use his taser on the pilot. Last year alone Yellowstone rangers filed 27 criminal cases between April and December, according to park staff.
Canadian law also bans drones in that country's parks, and a Calgary man earlier this year was fined $500 for flying a drone in Banff National Park. He could have been fined $25,000 under the law.
Comments
In at least one of the recent California wildfires, firefighting helicopters were grounded for hours, endangering homes and businesses, because someone had their drone up and flying back and forth across the retardant dumping flight paths. Even England's very busy Gatwick airport has been closed multiple times for many hopurs on each occasion because of drones in the flight paths. The best and very expensive efforts, including efforts by "drone folks" to assist, in "policing" these situations have been only marginally successful at best. It's been like the efforts to get ATVers and dirtbikers to stay on the unpaved roads and off the vegetation and wildlife in the national parks, sometimes hilarious but never actually reliably effective. ...just sayin.
As I read it (if I'm correct), you can't fly drones in National Parks without their authorization. That would lead one to believe there was a lawful way to get permission. Sounds like a great way to increase revenue to our NPs. I'd pay a small charge for the privilege of using my drone to take pics in the national parks while I'm there. Just an idea.
So how do I turn someone in?
WoundHealer----- Whatever park you are concerned about will have Law Enforccement Rangers [as differentiated from the interpretive folks doing all the talking at scenic places or whatever ..... actually, just report it to any National Park Service employee. Uniformed or not - they will all know how to reach the right folks. [[My wife has been a behind-the-scenes museum curator for many years, and has never worn a uniform, but she knows all the L.E. rangers on a first name basis.]]
"The parks are there for a reason. And it's not to fly drones." DUMBEST QUOTE EVER! So what are the parks for? Camping, hiking, etc.. that is still disturbing the wildlife. Humans arent wildlife, thats what separates us from animals, so I dont understand? Is it because by now wildlife is used to us people in jeeps and camping, hiking and all that. Well give it time for them to get used to drones flying around, its eventually going to happen all the time, just like humans visiting National Parks and having campfires, etc.. stupid quote 'parks are there for a reason, not for drones. For you but not to all, it is the new age of exploring, you can even say it is cleaner since we are just up in the air not in the ground messing up the landscape.
I guess I can even say you're deeply delusional about the epic destiny and cosmic evolutionary importance of your toys and probably about yourself as well. Try moving to Argentina.
National Parks are biological reserves first and foremost under the US Organic Act the intent of which is the preservation of both the wild landscapes, geolical features, and the the entire ecosystem of native plants and wild animals. The recreation of park visitors is another component of our National Parks mission to preserve, protect, and enhance these iconic wild places for future generations to experience in an unmared state. The basic problem with many people is that they are stuck in a myopic state of ego-based consciousnes. It's not about your social media moment and posting an aerial photograph that looks distinctive for most others. get over yourself nobody wants to go to the Grand Canyon and see and listen to 20,000 drones flying above the rim. Please get a grip on yourselves.