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Drone Rules for Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Gatehouse
Newbury, Massachusetts (MA)
• United States
Refuge Rd, Newbury, MA 01951, USA
Lat: 42.7908 • Lng: -70.8099
Rules Edit History: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Gatehouse
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Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 7:25 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Parker River NWR with piping plover nesting, BVY/LWM Class D proximity, and Plum Island beach closure context.
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Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit detailing drone regulations at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, including the USFWS prohibition, piping plover nesting, and beach closure context, has been approved. This aligns with USFWS regulations prohibiting drone operations within the refuge. The added context 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 | — | USFWS prohibits drones on Parker River NWR (Plum Island). The refuge is one of the most popular birding sites on the East Coast and lies under the Newburyport/Beverly Class D approach corridor. |
| Mapped shapes | — | db6cb80f-16a0-4fb8-992c-060e2f962a06 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Parker River NWR, Massachusetts **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210. ### Airspace / Site Context - Plum Island barrier bar; piping plover (threatened) and least tern (MA state threatened) nest on the beach April-August - Beverly Municipal (BVY) Class D is ~15 NM south; Lawrence Municipal (LWM) Class D is ~12 NM west - Frequent New England fog and coastal sea breeze limit practical UAS windows even outside the refuge boundary ### Key Rules - Plover nesting season (April-August): beach closures make drone overflight especially impactful -- eggs and chicks are invisible from altitude - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research; applications must include a piping plover disturbance avoidance plan - Launching from public beach access outside the refuge boundary and overflying refuge is a federal violation ### Source - USFWS Parker River: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/parker-river
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+ ## Drone Rules - Parker River NWR, Massachusetts + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Plum Island barrier bar; piping plover (threatened) and least tern (MA state threatened) nest on the beach April-August + - Beverly Municipal (BVY) Class D is ~15 NM south; Lawrence Municipal (LWM) Class D is ~12 NM west + - Frequent New England fog and coastal sea breeze limit practical UAS windows even outside the refuge boundary + + ### Key Rules + - Plover nesting season (April-August): beach closures make drone overflight especially impactful -- eggs and chicks are invisible from altitude + - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research; applications must include a piping plover disturbance avoidance plan + - Launching from public beach access outside the refuge boundary and overflying refuge is a federal violation + + ### Source + - USFWS Parker River: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/parker-river +