JACKSON, Wyo. — After a recent incident in neighboring Lincoln County where a civilian drone aircraft disrupted an active accident scene, Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) is asking unmanned aerial system (UAS) operators to make sure they know the rules going into the summer season.
According to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), a UAS must be flown below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles, staying more than 100 meters (328 feet) from wildlife to avoid causing significant stress. Individuals are prohibited to fly UAS without authorization over wildfires whether a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place or not.
“Individuals who have been determined to have endangered manned aircraft or people on the ground with a UAS and/or interfered with wildfire suppression may be subject to civil penalties, including fines of up to $25,000, and potentially criminal prosecution,” the USFS website states.
Take off and landing of a UAS is also prohibited in lands administered by the National Parks Service and in Wilderness areas administered by a variety of federal agencies such as the USFS and Bureau of Land Management.
Drone restrictions in the BTNF are in place to protect the solitude of wilderness for visitors, to prevent harassment of wildlife and to ensure the effectiveness of wildfire suppression operations.
In September 2022, a drone disrupted aviation operations on the Sawtell Fire on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
The Jackson Hole public is currently being asked to join the conversation around revising the Community Wildlife Protection Plan.
