Gov't moves to ban drones in 400 national parks

http://gazette.com/govt-moves-to-ban-drones-in-400-national-parks/article/feed/130665

Gov't moves to ban drones in 400 national parks
Associated Press Updated: June 20, 2014 at 4:46 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Park Service is taking steps to ban drones from 84 million acres of public lands and waterways, saying the unmanned aircraft annoy visitors, harass wildlife and threaten safety.

Jonathan Jarvis, the park service's director, told The Associated Press he doesn't want drones flushing birds from their nests, hovering over rock climbers as they cling to the sides of cliffs or buzzing across the face of Mount Rushmore.

Jarvis said he would sign a policy memorandum on Friday directing superintendents of the service's 401 parks to write rules prohibiting the launching, landing or operation of unmanned aircraft in their parks.

Two large national parks, Grand Canyon in Arizona and Zion in Utah, have already changed their rules to ban drones. Some other parks have interpreted existing regulations to permit them to ban drone flights, but Jarvis said each park must change its "compendium" — a set of regulations unique to that park — if a ban is to be enforceable.