Nat'l. Park Bound? Leave the Drones at Home
Friday, August 29, 2014
JACKSON, Wyo. - If you're visiting a national park in Wyoming this weekend, leave the drones at home. Unmanned aircraft are banned at national parks - a move the National Park Service initiated in June and that now has been finalized.
Drones primarily have been used to take photos and videos. Park Service spokesman Jeffrey Olsen said the decision came out of concern for the safety of people and animals.
"They crash often," he said. "If somebody is standing in the way when one crashes, people are going to get hurt. They've been used to harass wildlife."
Olsen said there had been cases of aerial drones disturbing and scaring animals, such as bighorn sheep.
Drones may not be grounded for good, however. The National Park Service said it will spend the next 18 months drafting rules for drone operation in parks, as well as deciding which areas to designate as appropriate for drone use.
Olsen said the Park Service hopes that, with time, drone operators will gain more experience using the devices safely.
"It's a new activity," he said, "and the park rangers in the field could tell that people did not have very much or any experience with these unmanned aircraft."
Olsen said anyone cited for using an aerial drone inside a national park could face a misdemeanor charge and a fine of up to $5,000. The National Park Service has said it eventually may use the technology to help locate people stranded or injured at parks, or use the devices to monitor fires and drought.
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