Drone Rules for Sugarite Canyon State Park

Authorization Status

• Recreational: ❌ Prohibited without written authorization — dual-state jurisdiction (New Mexico EMNRD + Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
• Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Requires EMNRD permit (NM portion) + CPW permit (CO portion) + FAA Part 107 certification
• Historic Layer: ⚠️ NHPA National Register listing — Sugarite Coal Camp Historic District; 1908–1941 mining era structures and deposits
• Dual-State Layer: ⚠️ Park straddles NM/CO state line — simultaneous compliance with both states' UAS and wildlife statutes required

Geographic Boundaries

Sugarite Canyon State Park is located in Colfax County, New Mexico, and Las Animas County, Colorado, administered by NM EMNRD State Parks Division (primary) with Colorado portions under CPW jurisdiction.

• Total area: ~3,600 acres
• Coordinates: 36.9100° N, 104.3900° W (park headquarters)
• Nearest city: Raton, NM (~10 miles southwest)
• Terrain: volcanic mesa canyon, Lake Maloya and Lake Alice impoundments, ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forest, Raton Mesa escarpment
• Sugarite Coal Camp Historic District — ruins of company town (1908–1941) including mine portals, coke ovens, foundations, and tramway infrastructure
• Listed on National Register of Historic Places
• Colorado state line bisects upper park area; Lake Alice partially in Colorado
• Black bear, mule deer, wild turkey active throughout park
• Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G

Regulations

• New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC) 19.6.1 — State Park rules prohibit drone operations without written park manager authorization (NM portion)
• Colorado Revised Statutes C.R.S. § 33-1-121 — Colorado Parks and Wildlife prohibits drone harassment of wildlife (CO portion)
• Colorado UAS statute C.R.S. § 18-9-202 — trespass and privacy provisions apply to Colorado park lands
• National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — Sugarite Coal Camp Historic District; drone rotor vibration near surviving masonry structures constitutes NHPA preservation threat
• Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) — subsurface mining-era archaeological deposits on federal/state land portions
• New Mexico Department of Game and Fish NMAC 19.31 — wildlife harassment prohibition (NM portion)
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — migratory raptors and songbirds throughout canyon habitat
• FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs all commercial UAS operations nationwide

Penalties

• NM EMNRD State Parks: up to $500 per violation under NMAC 19.6.1
• Colorado CPW: up to $1,000 per violation under C.R.S. § 33-1-121
• Colorado trespass: civil + criminal charges under C.R.S. § 18-4-504
• NHPA civil penalties for damage to National Register historic district fabric
• ARPA violations: fines up to $20,000 + 2 years imprisonment
• NMDGF harassment: up to $1,000 per violation under NMAC 19.31
• MBTA criminal penalties: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment
• FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day (commercial ops)

Special Permissions

• Written authorization required from Sugarite Canyon State Park manager for New Mexico portions
• Separate Colorado Parks and Wildlife authorization required for operations over Colorado portions (Lake Alice area)
• NHPA Section 106 review recommended for any commercial film work involving Coal Camp Historic District structures
• ARPA federal research permit required if archaeological deposit documentation is intended Submit requests to: Sugarite Canyon State Park Manager, HCR 63 Box 386, Raton, NM 87740 Colorado Parks and Wildlife — Southeast Region: 2126 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80907