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Drone Rules for Cumberland Island National Seashore
St. Marys, Georgia (GA)
• United States
Plum Orchard Dr, St Marys, GA 31558, USA
Lat: 30.8473 • Lng: -81.4546
Rules Edit History: Cumberland Island National Seashore
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May 29, 2026 1:26 AM
Approved
• Added drone restriction profile for Cumberland Island National Seashore based on NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05, 36 CFR § 1.5, ESA Section 9 Loggerhead sea turtle, Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, and Wilderness Act protections.
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Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/cuis/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations. ESA Loggerhead sea turtle nesting beach protections, Wild Horse Act, and Wilderness Act add multi-layer federal restrictions with seasonal absolute bans May — October.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Cumberland Island National Seashore under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. Georgia's largest barrier island protects critical Loggerhead sea turtle nesting beaches, wild horse herds, and Carnegie esta |
| Mapped shapes | — | ba064e77-6635-4b62-8270-3b19557d05fa |
Before
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - ESA: ⚠️ Loggerhead sea turtle critical nesting habitat - Wild horses: ⚠️ Free-roaming herd — disturbance prohibited ## Geographic Boundaries Cumberland Island National Seashore is located in Camden County, Georgia, on the Atlantic coast. - Total area: ~36,415 acres - Length: ~17 miles barrier island - Coordinates: 30.8333° N, 81.4667° W - Includes Dungeness ruins, Plum Orchard mansion, Cumberland Island Wilderness, and wild horse herds - Access by ferry only from St. Marys, GA - Nearest city: St. Marys, GA (~7 miles west by ferry) ## Regulations - NPS Management Policies § 8.2.2 prohibits UAS in all NPS units - 36 CFR § 1.5 — Superintendent's closure authority - 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) — Prohibits air delivery/retrieval - ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Loggerhead sea turtle threatened; nesting beach UAS constitutes ESA Section 9 harassment - Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (16 U.S.C. § 1331) - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — Cumberland Island Wilderness - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over seashore ## Penalties - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation - ESA Section 9: up to $50,000 + 1 year per sea turtle incident - Wild Horse Act: fines up to $2,000 + 1 year imprisonment - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - Sea turtle nesting blackout: May–October absolute ban on beaches Submit requests to: Cumberland Island NS Superintendent, 101 Wheeler Street, St. Marys, GA 31558
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+ ## Authorization Status + - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit + - ESA: ⚠️ Loggerhead sea turtle critical nesting habitat + - Wild horses: ⚠️ Free-roaming herd — disturbance prohibited + + ## Geographic Boundaries + Cumberland Island National Seashore is located in Camden + County, Georgia, on the Atlantic coast. + - Total area: ~36,415 acres + - Length: ~17 miles barrier island + - Coordinates: 30.8333° N, 81.4667° W + - Includes Dungeness ruins, Plum Orchard mansion, + Cumberland Island Wilderness, and wild horse herds + - Access by ferry only from St. Marys, GA + - Nearest city: St. Marys, GA (~7 miles west by ferry) + + ## Regulations + - NPS Management Policies § 8.2.2 prohibits UAS in all NPS units + - 36 CFR § 1.5 — Superintendent's closure authority + - 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) — Prohibits air delivery/retrieval + - ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Loggerhead sea turtle threatened; + nesting beach UAS constitutes ESA Section 9 harassment + - Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (16 U.S.C. § 1331) + - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — Cumberland Island Wilderness + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations + - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over seashore + + ## Penalties + - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation + - ESA Section 9: up to $50,000 + 1 year per sea turtle incident + - Wild Horse Act: fines up to $2,000 + 1 year imprisonment + - Wilderness Act: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by park rangers + + ## Special Permissions + - NPS Special Use Permit required + - Sea turtle nesting blackout: May–October absolute ban on beaches + Submit requests to: Cumberland Island NS Superintendent, + 101 Wheeler Street, St. Marys, GA 31558