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Drone Rules for Gila Wilderness
Gila Hot Springs, New Mexico (nm)
• United States
Silver City, NM 88061, USA
Lat: 33.2402 • Lng: -108.281
Rules Edit History: Gila Wilderness
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May 27, 2026 10:37 PM
Approved
• USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) applied to the first designated wilderness in the U.S., MBTA raptor protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), ESA Mexican gray wolf recovery zone (16 U.S.C. § 1531), and ARPA Mogollon cliff dwelling protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit accurately reflects the prohibition of drone operations in the Gila Wilderness under U.S. Forest Service regulations and other federal laws, as supported by official sources. The outline provided is appropriately placed around the wilderness area. This edit is approved.
Sources
- https://www.fws.gov/media/unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-policy — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) applied to the first designated wilderness in the U.S., MBTA raptor protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), ESA Mexican gray wolf recovery zone (16 U.S.C. § 1531), and ARPA Mogollon cliff dwelling protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-251/section-251.50 — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) applied to the first designated wilderness in the U.S., MBTA raptor protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), ESA Mexican gray wolf recovery zone (16 U.S.C. § 1531), and ARPA Mogollon cliff dwelling protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) applied to the first designated wilderness in the U.S., MBTA raptor protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), ESA Mexican gray wolf recovery zone (16 U.S.C. § 1531), and ARPA Mogollon cliff dwelling protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1510/arpa.htm — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) applied to the first designated wilderness in the U.S., MBTA raptor protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), ESA Mexican gray wolf recovery zone (16 U.S.C. § 1531), and ARPA Mogollon cliff dwelling protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) applied to the first designated wilderness in the U.S., MBTA raptor protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), ESA Mexican gray wolf recovery zone (16 U.S.C. § 1531), and ARPA Mogollon cliff dwelling protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-II/part-261/section-261.10 — USFS regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10, the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) applied to the first designated wilderness in the U.S., MBTA raptor protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), ESA Mexican gray wolf recovery zone (16 U.S.C. § 1531), and ARPA Mogollon cliff dwelling protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | Drone operations are strictly prohibited in the Gila Wilderness under U.S. Forest Service regulations and the Wilderness Act of 1964, managed by the Gila National Forest. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without a USFS Special Use Permit. The Gila Wilderness holds singular legal and historical signif |
| Mapped shapes | — | 176ca5da-252a-4494-ad11-a7f6b7c422dd |
Before
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without USFS Special Use Permit - Wilderness Layer: ⚠️ First designated wilderness in the U.S. — Wilderness Act 16 U.S.C. § 1131 fully applicable; maximum enforcement priority - Wildlife Layer: ⚠️ MBTA active — Mexican spotted owl (ESA threatened), zone-tailed hawk, common black hawk nesting ## Geographic Boundaries Gila Wilderness is located in Catron and Grant Counties, New Mexico, administered by the Gila National Forest, USFS. - Total area: ~558,065 acres (combined with adjacent Aldo Leopold Wilderness: ~792,000 acres of contiguous roadless wilderness) - Coordinates: 33.2290° N, 108.2910° W - Nearest city: Silver City, NM (~44 miles south) - Terrain: Mogollon Mountains, Gila River headwaters, cliff dwellings, hot springs, rugged canyon systems - Designated wilderness by USFS in 1924 at the initiative of Aldo Leopold — the world's first legally protected wilderness area - Formally incorporated into the National Wilderness Preservation System by the Wilderness Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-577) - Adjacent to Aldo Leopold Wilderness (also USFS, also fully restricted) - Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) reintroduction zone — ESA Section 7 - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G ## Regulations - USFS Management regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10 — prohibits unauthorized aircraft use in National Forest wilderness - 36 CFR § 251.50 — Special Use authorization requirements - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — prohibits all mechanized and motorized equipment; drone operations violate wilderness character mandate - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Mexican spotted owl (federally threatened), zone-tailed hawk, multiple sensitive raptor species - Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Mexican gray wolf recovery zone; drone disturbance of wolf packs triggers ESA Section 7/9 liability - Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) — Mogollon culture cliff dwellings and pit house sites throughout wilderness - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide ## Penalties - USFS fines up to $5,000 per violation under 36 CFR § 261.10 - Wilderness Act violations: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment - MBTA violations: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment - ESA Section 9 violations (wolf disturbance): civil penalties up to $25,000 + criminal penalties up to $50,000 + 1 year imprisonment per violation - ARPA violations: fines up to $20,000 + 2 years imprisonment - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by USFS rangers ## Special Permissions - USFS Special Use Permit required for any research or commercial operation - ESA Section 7 biological assessment required for any flight near wolf pack activity zones — coordinate with USFWS New Mexico Ecological Services - ARPA federal research permit required for cliff dwelling documentation Submit requests to: Gila National Forest Supervisor's Office, 3005 E Camino del Bosque, Silver City, NM 88061 USFWS wolf coordination: New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, 2105 Osuna Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113
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+ ## Authorization Status + - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without USFS Special Use Permit + - Wilderness Layer: ⚠️ First designated wilderness in the U.S. — Wilderness Act + 16 U.S.C. § 1131 fully applicable; maximum enforcement priority + - Wildlife Layer: ⚠️ MBTA active — Mexican spotted owl (ESA threatened), + zone-tailed hawk, common black hawk nesting + + ## Geographic Boundaries + Gila Wilderness is located in Catron and Grant Counties, New Mexico, administered + by the Gila National Forest, USFS. + - Total area: ~558,065 acres (combined with adjacent Aldo Leopold Wilderness: + ~792,000 acres of contiguous roadless wilderness) + - Coordinates: 33.2290° N, 108.2910° W + - Nearest city: Silver City, NM (~44 miles south) + - Terrain: Mogollon Mountains, Gila River headwaters, cliff dwellings, + hot springs, rugged canyon systems + - Designated wilderness by USFS in 1924 at the initiative of Aldo Leopold — + the world's first legally protected wilderness area + - Formally incorporated into the National Wilderness Preservation System by + the Wilderness Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-577) + - Adjacent to Aldo Leopold Wilderness (also USFS, also fully restricted) + - Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) reintroduction zone — ESA Section 7 + - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G + + ## Regulations + - USFS Management regulations under 36 CFR § 261.10 — prohibits unauthorized + aircraft use in National Forest wilderness + - 36 CFR § 251.50 — Special Use authorization requirements + - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — prohibits all mechanized and motorized + equipment; drone operations violate wilderness character mandate + - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Mexican spotted owl (federally + threatened), zone-tailed hawk, multiple sensitive raptor species + - Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Mexican gray wolf recovery zone; + drone disturbance of wolf packs triggers ESA Section 7/9 liability + - Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) — Mogollon culture + cliff dwellings and pit house sites throughout wilderness + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + + ## Penalties + - USFS fines up to $5,000 per violation under 36 CFR § 261.10 + - Wilderness Act violations: fines up to $5,000 + 6 months imprisonment + - MBTA violations: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment + - ESA Section 9 violations (wolf disturbance): civil penalties up to $25,000 + + criminal penalties up to $50,000 + 1 year imprisonment per violation + - ARPA violations: fines up to $20,000 + 2 years imprisonment + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by USFS rangers + + ## Special Permissions + - USFS Special Use Permit required for any research or commercial operation + - ESA Section 7 biological assessment required for any flight near wolf pack + activity zones — coordinate with USFWS New Mexico Ecological Services + - ARPA federal research permit required for cliff dwelling documentation + Submit requests to: Gila National Forest Supervisor's Office, + 3005 E Camino del Bosque, Silver City, NM 88061 + USFWS wolf coordination: New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, + 2105 Osuna Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113