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Drone Rules for Tongass National Forest
Petersburg Borough, Alaska (AK)
• United States
Tongass National Forest, Alaska 99833, USA
Lat: 56.75 • Lng: -133
Rules Edit History: Tongass National Forest
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May 30, 2026 6:33 AM
Approved
• Added USFS drone advisory for Tongass NF with Admiralty Island Wilderness, Pack Creek brown bear viewing prohibition, and floatplane collision context.
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Approved
Confidence: 0.85
Your proposed edit detailing drone regulations in Tongass National Forest, including the prohibition of drone operations in multiple Wilderness Areas, the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area, and the need to monitor floatplane traffic, has been approved. This aligns with the U.S. Forest Service's guidelines that prohibit drone operations in designated Wilderness Areas and areas with sensitive wildlife. The added context about the proximity to Juneau International Airport's Class D airspace enhances the understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | — | USFS Tongass NF is the largest national forest in the US (17 million acres). Wilderness Areas, tribal interests, bear viewing areas near Admiralty Island, and floatplane traffic all create complex UAS operational considerations. |
| Mapped shapes | — | cab19022-876d-4d81-a2a1-f61ca09c4268 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Tongass NF, Alaska **Multiple Wilderness Areas** (Admiralty Island NM Wilderness, South Baranof, West Chichagof-Yakobi, Stikine-LeConte, Tracy Arm-Fords Terror, etc.) ban drones. ### Airspace / Site Context - World's largest temperate rainforest; floatplane and helicopter traffic is the primary manned aircraft hazard -- no ATC separation in remote areas - Admiralty Island NM Wilderness (956,000 acres) contains the world's highest density of brown bears; drone noise disrupts bear viewing at Pack Creek (managed site) - Juneau International (JNU) Class D is ~15 NM from Admiralty Island; other Class G airports throughout Southeast AK ### Key Rules - Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area (USFS): drones are prohibited within the entire Pack Creek Sanctuary - Monitor floatplane traffic on 122.8 MHz CTAF before launching near any floatplane base or lake - USFS Special Use Permit required for commercial operations; Native Corporation land may be intermixed -- verify ownership ### Source - USFS Tongass: https://www.fs.usda.gov/tongass
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+ ## Drone Rules - Tongass NF, Alaska + + **Multiple Wilderness Areas** (Admiralty Island NM Wilderness, South Baranof, West Chichagof-Yakobi, Stikine-LeConte, Tracy Arm-Fords Terror, etc.) ban drones. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - World's largest temperate rainforest; floatplane and helicopter traffic is the primary manned aircraft hazard -- no ATC separation in remote areas + - Admiralty Island NM Wilderness (956,000 acres) contains the world's highest density of brown bears; drone noise disrupts bear viewing at Pack Creek (managed site) + - Juneau International (JNU) Class D is ~15 NM from Admiralty Island; other Class G airports throughout Southeast AK + + ### Key Rules + - Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area (USFS): drones are prohibited within the entire Pack Creek Sanctuary + - Monitor floatplane traffic on 122.8 MHz CTAF before launching near any floatplane base or lake + - USFS Special Use Permit required for commercial operations; Native Corporation land may be intermixed -- verify ownership + + ### Source + - USFS Tongass: https://www.fs.usda.gov/tongass +