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Drone Rules for Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Milton, Delaware (DE)
• United States
11978 Turkle Pond Rd, Milton, DE 19968, USA
Lat: 38.83 • Lng: -75.2484
Rules Edit History: Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
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Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 8:46 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Prime Hook NWR with Delaware Bay shorebird corridor context and Piping Plover ESA protection.
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Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibiting drone operations within national wildlife refuges. The added context regarding the refuge's location along the Delaware Bay shorebird corridor and the presence of the federally threatened piping plover enhances 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | Prime Hook NWR prohibits all UAS operations under USFWS Director's Order 210. The refuge provides critical Atlantic Flyway stopover habitat and was substantially restored after 2012 storm damage. |
| Mapped shapes | — | 491dd516-2423-4e04-b4a2-bc9634484760 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Prime Hook NWR **All drone operations are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 (2015) without a Special Use Permit. ### Airspace / Site Context - Delaware Bay corridor is one of the highest-density shorebird stopover zones in the Western Hemisphere - Georgetown/Sussex County Airport (KGED) Class D lies ~8 miles west - Refuge spans 10,144 acres of freshwater marsh, beach, and forest - Critical foraging habitat for American Black Duck, a species of conservation concern ### Key Rules - No UAS without USFWS Special Use Permit - Piping Plover (ESA threatened) nesting beaches closed drone operations spring-summer - Refuge boundary overlaps Delaware Seashore State Park; both agencies prohibit drones - Waterfowl hunting season adds safety considerations fall-winter ### Source - USFWS: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/prime-hook
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+ ## Drone Rules - Prime Hook NWR + + **All drone operations are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 (2015) without a Special Use Permit. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Delaware Bay corridor is one of the highest-density shorebird stopover zones in the Western Hemisphere + - Georgetown/Sussex County Airport (KGED) Class D lies ~8 miles west + - Refuge spans 10,144 acres of freshwater marsh, beach, and forest + - Critical foraging habitat for American Black Duck, a species of conservation concern + + ### Key Rules + - No UAS without USFWS Special Use Permit + - Piping Plover (ESA threatened) nesting beaches closed drone operations spring-summer + - Refuge boundary overlaps Delaware Seashore State Park; both agencies prohibit drones + - Waterfowl hunting season adds safety considerations fall-winter + + ### Source + - USFWS: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/prime-hook +