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Drone Rules for Modoc National Forest
Modoc County, California (CA)
• United States
Modoc National Forest, California, USA
Lat: 41.5002 • Lng: -121.001
Rules Edit History: Modoc National Forest
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May 30, 2026 7:10 AM
Approved
• Added USFS drone advisory for Modoc NF with sage-grouse lek seasonal restriction, Modoc NWR boundary, and ESA courtship display disturbance context.
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Approved
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Your proposed edit detailing drone regulations in Modoc National Forest, including sage-grouse lek seasonal restrictions and Modoc National Wildlife Refuge boundary, 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 forest's proximity to Modoc National Wildlife Refuge 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 Modoc NF in northeastern California has no Wilderness designation but is adjacent to the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge. Greater sage-grouse leks and migratory waterfowl staging areas require seasonal UAS avoidance. |
| Mapped shapes | — | 99d66bc3-d0a6-4013-ad0e-2953c77625b6 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Modoc NF, California **No Wilderness designation**, but sage-grouse lek sites and Modoc NWR (USFWS, adjacent) restrict practical UAS operations seasonally. ### Airspace / Site Context - Modoc NWR (USFWS) is adjacent to the forest's southern boundary near Alturas; USFWS policy requires no drones over refuge - Greater sage-grouse leks are active February-May on the Modoc Plateau; drone noise disrupts courtship displays, an ESA concern - Alturas Airport (KAAT) Class G; nearest controlled airspace is Redding (RDD) ~100 NM southwest ### Key Rules - February-May: contact USFS Modoc for current sage-grouse lek locations and maintain 0.5-mile buffer during dawn display hours - Confirm parcel is USFS land (not NWR) before launching near the Goose Lake Basin - USFS Special Use Permit required for commercial work ### Source - USFS Modoc: https://www.fs.usda.gov/modoc
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+ ## Drone Rules - Modoc NF, California + + **No Wilderness designation**, but sage-grouse lek sites and Modoc NWR (USFWS, adjacent) restrict practical UAS operations seasonally. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Modoc NWR (USFWS) is adjacent to the forest's southern boundary near Alturas; USFWS policy requires no drones over refuge + - Greater sage-grouse leks are active February-May on the Modoc Plateau; drone noise disrupts courtship displays, an ESA concern + - Alturas Airport (KAAT) Class G; nearest controlled airspace is Redding (RDD) ~100 NM southwest + + ### Key Rules + - February-May: contact USFS Modoc for current sage-grouse lek locations and maintain 0.5-mile buffer during dawn display hours + - Confirm parcel is USFS land (not NWR) before launching near the Goose Lake Basin + - USFS Special Use Permit required for commercial work + + ### Source + - USFS Modoc: https://www.fs.usda.gov/modoc +