After experiencing months of measures and complaints across the U.S., drones have been officially banned from use in all of the country's national parks.
The ban includes the launching, landing and operation of any unmanned aircraft over all lands and waters that have been federally administered, according to Yahoo! News. The policy memo for the new regulations was signed on June 27th by Jonathan Jarvis, director of the National Park Service (NPS), the agency responsible for managing the U.S.'s national parks, historical sites and monuments.
"We embrace many activities in national parks because they enhance visitor experience with the iconic natural, historical and cultural landscapes in our care," Jarvis said. "However, we have serious concerns about the negative impact of 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."
The use of drones has been an issue in several parks over the past year, with one being confiscated in Mount Rushmore National Memorial last September after causing a disturbance while flying over the park's amphitheater. The aircraft was also the subject of complaints from visitors to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona in April. The visitors said the drone flew loudly over the area and crashed into the canyon.
Drones were also banned in May from Yosemite Park in California after park officials reported the use of the machines to film views of the landscape, Yahoo! News reported. The aircraft also caused problems at Zion National Park in Utah, in which they were reported to be flying close to a herd of bighorn sheep and causing noise that separated the young sheep from the adult sheep.
Officials said the drone ban is aimed at bringing the amount of noise and nuisance complaints at the parks down while making sure people at the parks are safe. However, the ban is only temporary, and will remain in effect until a safer way to use the aircraft in populated areas can be found, IBNLive reported.
"Despite the prohibition, the NPS may use drones for search-and-rescue operations, fire safety and scientific study," Jarvis said.
The NPS's new rules will not interfere with the activities of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is currently working on official regulations for using commercial drones, Yahoo! News reported. The agency is expected to release rules in 2015 regarding small commercial drones weighing less than 55 pounds.
