National Park Service bans drones in all U.S. parks

A drone flying in Yosemite National Park (Credit: Yosemite National Park)

The National Park Service has issued a ban on drones and model aircraft in all its parks, according to Forbes magazine. There are a few exceptions to the ban, which has been put in effect while the NPS evaluates its strategy to manage usage of the small aircraft.

Exempted from the ban are toy model planes and drones operated for artistic purposes such as filming. And the NPS is looking into developing a permitting process for those interested in using drones for scientific research purposes.

Officials at the Park Service say that current regulations don’t address launching, operating or landing unmanned aircraft. This is because the agency’s existing definition of “aircraft” applies only to devices used for human flight.

Image: A drone flying in  Yosemite National Park (Credit: Yosemite National Park)