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Drone Rules for Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

Galloway, New Jersey (NJ) • United States
800 Great Creek Rd, Galloway, NJ 08205, USA
Lat: 39.4644 • Lng: -74.4505
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 30, 2026
Summary
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USFWS prohibits drones on Forsythe NWR. The refuge's barrier island and salt marsh habitat sits within Atlantic City's Class C airspace and hosts the world's largest concentration of shorebirds during spring migration.

Drone Rules - Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, New Jersey

Drones are prohibited under USFWS Director's Order 210.

Airspace / Site Context

  • Atlantic City International (ACY) Class C airspace overlaps the refuge; LAANC authorization required for any flight in the vicinity even outside the refuge boundary
  • Over 200,000 shorebirds stage at the refuge in May during the horseshoe crab spawn -- one of the Western Hemisphere's greatest wildlife spectacles
  • Red knot (threatened) and ruddy turnstone depend on horseshoe crab eggs; disturbance during peak feeding reduces pre-migration fat reserves critically

Key Rules

  • ACY Class C LAANC required for surrounding flights; 0 ft AGL in some refuge grid squares
  • USFWS Special Use Permit required for research UAS; applications during May shorebird season are rarely approved
  • Barnegat Bay boat launches near the refuge do not confer right to launch UAS over refuge waters

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