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Drone Rules for Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Strong City, Kansas (KS)
• United States
2480B KS-177, Strong City, KS 66869, USA
Lat: 38.4323 • Lng: -96.5572
Rules Edit History: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Showing changes between revisions.
Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 29, 2026 12:07 AM
Approved
• Added NPS drone ban for Tallgrass Prairie NP with rare prairie and bison context.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit has been approved. The updated rule now accurately reflects the prohibition of drone operations in Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, as per National Park Service regulations, and highlights the protection of bison herds and the rare prairie ecosystem.
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/tapr/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations within Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. MBTA grassland bird protections and NHPA Spring Hill Ranch landmark restrictions add additional layers.
- https://www.nps.gov/tapr/planyourvisit/rules.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations within Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. MBTA grassland bird protections and NHPA Spring Hill Ranch landmark restrictions add additional layers.
Changed fields
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve under NPS regulations, controlled by the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit from the park superintendent. One of the rarest ecosystems | Drones are prohibited in Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve per NPS closure order. Bison herds and rare prairie ecosystem are protected. |
Before
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - MBTA: ⚠️ Critical grassland bird migration corridor ## Geographic Boundaries Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County, Kansas, in the Flint Hills region. - Total area: ~10,894 acres - Coordinates: 38.4342° N, 96.5586° W - Includes Spring Hill Ranch (National Historic Landmark), Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, and bison herd grazing units - Less than 4% of original 170 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America - Nearest city: Strong City, KS (~2 miles north) ## 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 within park - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects greater prairie chicken, dickcissel, upland sandpiper, and other grassland-dependent migratory species - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — Spring Hill Ranch National Historic Landmark - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over preserve ## Penalties - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per bird disturbance - NHPA penalties for historic landmark disturbance - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - Wildlife research requires USFWS MBTA coordination - Historic research requires NHPA + SHPO review Submit requests to: Tallgrass Prairie NP Superintendent, 2480B KS-177, Strong City, KS 66869
After
## Drone Rules - Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve **Drone use is prohibited** in Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. ### Key Rules - No recreational drone flights within the preserve - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit - Less than 4% of the original tallgrass prairie remains in North America; bison herds here are protected ### Source - Tallgrass Prairie NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/tapr/planyourvisit/rules.htm
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- - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - - MBTA: ⚠️ Critical grassland bird migration corridor - Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County, - Kansas, in the Flint Hills region. - - Total area: ~10,894 acres - - Coordinates: 38.4342° N, 96.5586° W - - Includes Spring Hill Ranch (National Historic Landmark), - Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, and bison herd grazing units - - Less than 4% of original 170 million acres of tallgrass - prairie remains in North America - - Nearest city: Strong City, KS (~2 miles north) - - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects - greater prairie chicken, dickcissel, upland sandpiper, - and other grassland-dependent migratory species - - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — - Spring Hill Ranch National Historic Landmark - - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over preserve - - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per bird disturbance - - NHPA penalties for historic landmark disturbance - - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - - Equipment confiscation by park rangers - ## Special Permissions - - NPS Special Use Permit required - - Wildlife research requires USFWS MBTA coordination - - Historic research requires NHPA + SHPO review - Submit requests to: Tallgrass Prairie NP Superintendent, - 2480B KS-177, Strong City, KS 66869
May 28, 2026 11:26 PM
Approved
• Added drone restriction profile for Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve based on NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05, 36 CFR § 1.5, MBTA grassland bird protections, and NHPA Spring Hill Ranch National Historic Landmark restrictions.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit to add a comprehensive drone restriction profile for Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is approved. The information about the prohibition of drone operations in the preserve is accurate and well-supported by official sources. The outline you provided appropriately matches the selected location. Thank you for your contribution.
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/tapr/planyourvisit/unmanned-aircraft.htm — NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 and 36 CFR § 1.5 prohibit all drone operations within Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. MBTA grassland bird protections and NHPA Spring Hill Ranch landmark restrictions add additional layers.
Changed fields
Mapped shape change
Click to load this change into the shared map viewer here.
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve under NPS regulations, controlled by the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit from the park superintendent. One of the rarest ecosystems |
| Mapped shapes | — | 88fbff31-8628-4326-8871-a7f96d70ed53 |
Before
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit - MBTA: ⚠️ Critical grassland bird migration corridor ## Geographic Boundaries Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County, Kansas, in the Flint Hills region. - Total area: ~10,894 acres - Coordinates: 38.4342° N, 96.5586° W - Includes Spring Hill Ranch (National Historic Landmark), Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, and bison herd grazing units - Less than 4% of original 170 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America - Nearest city: Strong City, KS (~2 miles north) ## 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 within park - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects greater prairie chicken, dickcissel, upland sandpiper, and other grassland-dependent migratory species - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — Spring Hill Ranch National Historic Landmark - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over preserve ## Penalties - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per bird disturbance - NHPA penalties for historic landmark disturbance - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by park rangers ## Special Permissions - NPS Special Use Permit required - Wildlife research requires USFWS MBTA coordination - Historic research requires NHPA + SHPO review Submit requests to: Tallgrass Prairie NP Superintendent, 2480B KS-177, Strong City, KS 66869
Show inline change markers
+ ## Authorization Status + - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit + - MBTA: ⚠️ Critical grassland bird migration corridor + + ## Geographic Boundaries + Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County, + Kansas, in the Flint Hills region. + - Total area: ~10,894 acres + - Coordinates: 38.4342° N, 96.5586° W + - Includes Spring Hill Ranch (National Historic Landmark), + Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, and bison herd grazing units + - Less than 4% of original 170 million acres of tallgrass + prairie remains in North America + - Nearest city: Strong City, KS (~2 miles north) + + ## 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 within park + - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects + greater prairie chicken, dickcissel, upland sandpiper, + and other grassland-dependent migratory species + - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — + Spring Hill Ranch National Historic Landmark + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + - Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over preserve + + ## Penalties + - NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation + - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per bird disturbance + - NHPA penalties for historic landmark disturbance + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by park rangers + + ## Special Permissions + - NPS Special Use Permit required + - Wildlife research requires USFWS MBTA coordination + - Historic research requires NHPA + SHPO review + Submit requests to: Tallgrass Prairie NP Superintendent, + 2480B KS-177, Strong City, KS 66869