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Drone Rules for Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Medicine Lake, Montana (MT)
• United States
223 N Shore Rd, Medicine Lake, MT 59247, USA
Lat: 48.4838 • Lng: -104.449
Rules Edit History: Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge
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Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 8:53 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Medicine Lake NWR with White Pelican colonial nesting context and Whooping Crane ESA passage.
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Approved
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Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Medicine Lake 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 support for the largest White Pelican nesting colony in the northern Great Plains and its role in the migration of the endangered Whooping Crane 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 | — | Medicine Lake NWR prohibits all UAS operations under USFWS Director's Order 210. The refuge supports the largest White Pelican nesting colony in the northern Great Plains with up to 5,000 nesting pairs. |
| Mapped shapes | — | e70a907d-206b-4864-befb-fffd6181987c |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Medicine Lake NWR **All drone operations are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 (2015). Special Use Permit required for any UAS activity. ### Airspace / Site Context - Remote northeastern Montana near the Canadian border - Wolf Point Airport (KOLF) Class D lies ~40 miles SE - Refuge encompasses 31,457 acres of prairie lakes, marshes, and uplands - American White Pelican colony of 4,000-5,000 nesting pairs is the largest in the northern plains ### Key Rules - No drone launches or landings within refuge boundaries - Pelican colony disturbance triggers nest abandonment; colony areas closed May-August - Eared Grebe, Franklin's Gull, and Double-crested Cormorant also nest colonially - Whooping Crane (ESA endangered) may use refuge during migration ### Source - USFWS: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/medicine-lake
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+ ## Drone Rules - Medicine Lake NWR + + **All drone operations are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 (2015). Special Use Permit required for any UAS activity. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Remote northeastern Montana near the Canadian border + - Wolf Point Airport (KOLF) Class D lies ~40 miles SE + - Refuge encompasses 31,457 acres of prairie lakes, marshes, and uplands + - American White Pelican colony of 4,000-5,000 nesting pairs is the largest in the northern plains + + ### Key Rules + - No drone launches or landings within refuge boundaries + - Pelican colony disturbance triggers nest abandonment; colony areas closed May-August + - Eared Grebe, Franklin's Gull, and Double-crested Cormorant also nest colonially + - Whooping Crane (ESA endangered) may use refuge during migration + + ### Source + - USFWS: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/medicine-lake +