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Drone Rules for Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Morris County, New Jersey (NJ)
• United States
32 Pleasant Plains Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, USA
Lat: 40.7193 • Lng: -74.5258
Rules Edit History: Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
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May 30, 2026 7:27 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Great Swamp NWR with EWR Class B proximity, Wilderness designation, and MMU Class D 0-ft AGL grid square context.
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Approved
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Your proposed edit detailing drone regulations at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, including the USFWS prohibition, EWR Class B proximity, Wilderness designation, and MMU Class D 0-ft AGL grid square 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 Great Swamp NWR. The refuge sits 25 miles from New York City under the Newark and Morristown Class D/C airspace network; the Wilderness portion adds a second prohibition. |
| Mapped shapes | — | e2e57023-8220-4aff-bcf5-6788dafa3e90 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Great Swamp NWR, New Jersey **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210; the Great Swamp Wilderness (3,660 acres) adds a Wilderness Act prohibition. ### Airspace / Site Context - Newark Liberty International (EWR) Class B outer rings extend over portions of Morris County; Morristown Municipal (MMU) Class D is ~3 NM north - The refuge is a critical stopover for migrating wood ducks, black ducks, and Eastern box turtles (state threatened) - Dense suburban surroundings mean drone noise complaints are common from adjacent homeowners ### Key Rules - EWR Class B and MMU Class D LAANC required for any flight within 5 NM of the refuge -- most grid squares authorize 0-100 ft AGL - Wilderness designation provides an independent federal prohibition for the core wetland area - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research; New Jersey DEP may also require separate state notification ### Source - USFWS Great Swamp: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/great-swamp
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+ ## Drone Rules - Great Swamp NWR, New Jersey + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210; the Great Swamp Wilderness (3,660 acres) adds a Wilderness Act prohibition. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Newark Liberty International (EWR) Class B outer rings extend over portions of Morris County; Morristown Municipal (MMU) Class D is ~3 NM north + - The refuge is a critical stopover for migrating wood ducks, black ducks, and Eastern box turtles (state threatened) + - Dense suburban surroundings mean drone noise complaints are common from adjacent homeowners + + ### Key Rules + - EWR Class B and MMU Class D LAANC required for any flight within 5 NM of the refuge -- most grid squares authorize 0-100 ft AGL + - Wilderness designation provides an independent federal prohibition for the core wetland area + - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research; New Jersey DEP may also require separate state notification + + ### Source + - USFWS Great Swamp: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/great-swamp +