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Drone Rules for Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
Yuma, Arizona (AZ)
• Estados Unidos
Palm Canyon Rd, Yuma, AZ 85365, EUA
Lat: 33.2376 • Lng: -114.011
Rules Edit History: Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
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May 28, 2026 11:57 PM
Approved
• Added a complete drone restriction profile for Kofa National Wildlife Refuge based on USFWS 50 CFR § 27.34, FAA R-2303 Yuma Proving Ground military restricted airspace, Wilderness Act ~516,200-acre designation, Arizona bighorn sheep harassment statute for largest NWR desert bighorn population in U.S., MBTA Sonoran Desert avifauna, ARPA Quechan/Mohave cultural site protections, Palm Canyon only native AZ palm grove advisory, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
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Approved
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Your proposed edit to the drone restriction profile for Kofa National Wildlife Refuge has been approved. The information is accurate and well-supported by official sources, and the outline appropriately matches the selected location. Thank you for your contribution.
Sources
- https://www.fws.gov/media/unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-policy — USFWS regulations under 50 CFR § 27.34, FAA R-2303 Yuma Proving Ground military restricted airspace (14 CFR § 73.3), Wilderness Act ~516,200-acre designation (16 U.S.C. § 1131), Arizona bighorn sheep harassment statute A.R.S. § 17-301 for largest NWR bighorn population in U.S., MBTA Sonoran Desert avifauna protections, and ARPA Quechan/Mohave cultural site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — USFWS regulations under 50 CFR § 27.34, FAA R-2303 Yuma Proving Ground military restricted airspace (14 CFR § 73.3), Wilderness Act ~516,200-acre designation (16 U.S.C. § 1131), Arizona bighorn sheep harassment statute A.R.S. § 17-301 for largest NWR bighorn population in U.S., MBTA Sonoran Desert avifauna protections, and ARPA Quechan/Mohave cultural site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-73 — USFWS regulations under 50 CFR § 27.34, FAA R-2303 Yuma Proving Ground military restricted airspace (14 CFR § 73.3), Wilderness Act ~516,200-acre designation (16 U.S.C. § 1131), Arizona bighorn sheep harassment statute A.R.S. § 17-301 for largest NWR bighorn population in U.S., MBTA Sonoran Desert avifauna protections, and ARPA Quechan/Mohave cultural site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — USFWS regulations under 50 CFR § 27.34, FAA R-2303 Yuma Proving Ground military restricted airspace (14 CFR § 73.3), Wilderness Act ~516,200-acre designation (16 U.S.C. § 1131), Arizona bighorn sheep harassment statute A.R.S. § 17-301 for largest NWR bighorn population in U.S., MBTA Sonoran Desert avifauna protections, and ARPA Quechan/Mohave cultural site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-27/section-27.34 — USFWS regulations under 50 CFR § 27.34, FAA R-2303 Yuma Proving Ground military restricted airspace (14 CFR § 73.3), Wilderness Act ~516,200-acre designation (16 U.S.C. § 1131), Arizona bighorn sheep harassment statute A.R.S. § 17-301 for largest NWR bighorn population in U.S., MBTA Sonoran Desert avifauna protections, and ARPA Quechan/Mohave cultural site protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge under U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service regulations, controlled by USFWS. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit from the refuge manager. |
| Mapped shapes | f83cc96f-d4fc-42e7-8635-9638627b1c31 | b27e94d0-ecb5-4f4c-b1dc-90519addddcf |
Before
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without USFWS Special Use Permit - Military Layer: ⚠️ Yuma Proving Ground restricted airspace (R-2303 series) on eastern refuge boundary — DoD overlap for eastern units - Wildlife Layer: ⚠️ Desert bighorn sheep — largest NWR population in U.S.; drone harassment = federal wildlife offense - Wilderness Layer: ⚠️ ~516,200 acres designated wilderness ## Geographic Boundaries Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is located in Yuma and La Paz Counties, Arizona, administered by USFWS. - Total area: ~665,400 acres - Coordinates: 33.3700° N, 114.0800° W - Nearest city: Quartzsite, AZ (~30 miles north); Yuma, AZ (~60 miles south) - Terrain: Kofa Mountains; Castle Dome Mountains; Signal Mountain; Palm Canyon (only native palm grove in Arizona — 11 California fan palms in a granite canyon); bajadas; volcanic ridges; Sonoran Desert uplands - Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) — ~800 individuals; largest population on any NWR in the United States; established population basis for reintroductions throughout SW - ~516,200 acres federally designated wilderness (P.L. 101-628, 1990) - Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) restricted airspace R-2303 series on eastern boundary — active military weapons testing range - Palm Canyon: seasonal high visitation; California fan palms (Washingtonia filifera) in only native AZ palm population - Airspace: Class G at surface; R-2303 immediately adjacent east; Class E above 700 ft AGL ## Regulations - 50 CFR § 27.34 — Prohibits use of aircraft and drones within National Wildlife Refuges - USFWS UAS Policy — blanket prohibition within refuge - 14 CFR § 73.3 — Yuma Proving Ground restricted airspace R-2303; eastern refuge operations must verify boundary proximity; any incursion = federal criminal violation - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — ~516,200 acres wilderness; motorized prohibition; covers most of refuge - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Sonoran Desert avifauna; LeConte's thrasher; gilded flicker; elf owl; peregrine falcon winter presence - Arizona state wildlife regulations — concurrent state layer for bighorn sheep disturbance under A.R.S. § 17-301 - Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) — prehistoric and historic Quechan and Mohave cultural sites - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide ## Penalties - USFWS fines up to $5,000 per violation under 50 CFR § 27.34 - Arizona bighorn sheep harassment: state wildlife violation under A.R.S. § 17-301; fines + potential license revocation - Wilderness Act violations: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months - R-2303 military airspace incursion: federal criminal charges under 49 U.S.C. § 46307; DoD security enforcement - ARPA violations: fines up to $20,000 + 2 years imprisonment - MBTA violations: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by USFWS refuge officers ## Special Permissions - USFWS Special Use Permit required; Wilderness compliance plan mandatory (~516,200 acres) - Yuma Proving Ground Range Control coordination required for any eastern refuge operations within 5 miles of R-2303 - Bighorn sheep lambing season (January–March) — additional seasonal restrictions on mountain unit operations - Palm Canyon: high visitor density area; permit timing must avoid peak visitation windows (October–April) Submit requests to: Kofa NWR Refuge Manager, 9300 E 28th Street, Yuma, AZ 85365 YPG Range Control: Yuma Proving Ground, 301 C Street, Yuma Proving Ground, AZ 85365
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+ ## Authorization Status + - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without USFWS Special Use Permit + - Military Layer: ⚠️ Yuma Proving Ground restricted airspace (R-2303 + series) on eastern refuge boundary — DoD overlap for eastern units + - Wildlife Layer: ⚠️ Desert bighorn sheep — largest NWR population + in U.S.; drone harassment = federal wildlife offense + - Wilderness Layer: ⚠️ ~516,200 acres designated wilderness + + ## Geographic Boundaries + Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is located in Yuma and La Paz Counties, + Arizona, administered by USFWS. + - Total area: ~665,400 acres + - Coordinates: 33.3700° N, 114.0800° W + - Nearest city: Quartzsite, AZ (~30 miles north); + Yuma, AZ (~60 miles south) + - Terrain: Kofa Mountains; Castle Dome Mountains; Signal Mountain; + Palm Canyon (only native palm grove in Arizona — 11 California + fan palms in a granite canyon); bajadas; volcanic ridges; + Sonoran Desert uplands + - Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) — ~800 individuals; + largest population on any NWR in the United States; established + population basis for reintroductions throughout SW + - ~516,200 acres federally designated wilderness (P.L. 101-628, 1990) + - Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) restricted airspace R-2303 series + on eastern boundary — active military weapons testing range + - Palm Canyon: seasonal high visitation; California fan palms + (Washingtonia filifera) in only native AZ palm population + - Airspace: Class G at surface; R-2303 immediately adjacent east; + Class E above 700 ft AGL + + ## Regulations + - 50 CFR § 27.34 — Prohibits use of aircraft and drones within + National Wildlife Refuges + - USFWS UAS Policy — blanket prohibition within refuge + - 14 CFR § 73.3 — Yuma Proving Ground restricted airspace R-2303; + eastern refuge operations must verify boundary proximity; + any incursion = federal criminal violation + - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — ~516,200 acres wilderness; + motorized prohibition; covers most of refuge + - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Sonoran Desert + avifauna; LeConte's thrasher; gilded flicker; elf owl; + peregrine falcon winter presence + - Arizona state wildlife regulations — concurrent state layer + for bighorn sheep disturbance under A.R.S. § 17-301 + - Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) — + prehistoric and historic Quechan and Mohave cultural sites + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + + ## Penalties + - USFWS fines up to $5,000 per violation under 50 CFR § 27.34 + - Arizona bighorn sheep harassment: state wildlife violation + under A.R.S. § 17-301; fines + potential license revocation + - Wilderness Act violations: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months + - R-2303 military airspace incursion: federal criminal charges + under 49 U.S.C. § 46307; DoD security enforcement + - ARPA violations: fines up to $20,000 + 2 years imprisonment + - MBTA violations: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by USFWS refuge officers + + ## Special Permissions + - USFWS Special Use Permit required; Wilderness compliance plan + mandatory (~516,200 acres) + - Yuma Proving Ground Range Control coordination required for + any eastern refuge operations within 5 miles of R-2303 + - Bighorn sheep lambing season (January–March) — additional + seasonal restrictions on mountain unit operations + - Palm Canyon: high visitor density area; permit timing must + avoid peak visitation windows (October–April) + Submit requests to: Kofa NWR Refuge Manager, + 9300 E 28th Street, Yuma, AZ 85365 + YPG Range Control: Yuma Proving Ground, + 301 C Street, Yuma Proving Ground, AZ 85365