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Drone Rules for Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
Tularosa, New Mexico (nm)
• United States
455 3 Rivers Rd, Tularosa, NM 88352, USA
Lat: 33.345 • Lng: -106.008
Rules Edit History: Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
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May 27, 2026 10:44 PM
Approved
• Added a complete drone restriction profile for Three Rivers Petroglyph Site based on BLM 43 CFR § 8360.0-7, ARPA 21,000+ Jornada Mogollon petroglyph protections with active enforcement history, NHPA historic register listing, FAA R-5107 WSMR proximity 14 CFR § 73.3, MBTA raptor protections, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
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Sources
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — BLM regulations under 43 CFR § 8360.0-7, ARPA protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) for 21,000+ Jornada Mogollon petroglyphs under active BLM enforcement, NHPA historic register listing (54 U.S.C. § 300101), FAA R-5107 WSMR proximity under 14 CFR § 73.3, and MBTA raptor nesting protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-73 — BLM regulations under 43 CFR § 8360.0-7, ARPA protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) for 21,000+ Jornada Mogollon petroglyphs under active BLM enforcement, NHPA historic register listing (54 U.S.C. § 300101), FAA R-5107 WSMR proximity under 14 CFR § 73.3, and MBTA raptor nesting protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1510/arpa.htm — BLM regulations under 43 CFR § 8360.0-7, ARPA protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) for 21,000+ Jornada Mogollon petroglyphs under active BLM enforcement, NHPA historic register listing (54 U.S.C. § 300101), FAA R-5107 WSMR proximity under 14 CFR § 73.3, and MBTA raptor nesting protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — BLM regulations under 43 CFR § 8360.0-7, ARPA protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) for 21,000+ Jornada Mogollon petroglyphs under active BLM enforcement, NHPA historic register listing (54 U.S.C. § 300101), FAA R-5107 WSMR proximity under 14 CFR § 73.3, and MBTA raptor nesting protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp — BLM regulations under 43 CFR § 8360.0-7, ARPA protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) for 21,000+ Jornada Mogollon petroglyphs under active BLM enforcement, NHPA historic register listing (54 U.S.C. § 300101), FAA R-5107 WSMR proximity under 14 CFR § 73.3, and MBTA raptor nesting protections ban all unauthorized drone operations, supported by FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/chapter-II/part-8360 — BLM regulations under 43 CFR § 8360.0-7, ARPA protections (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) for 21,000+ Jornada Mogollon petroglyphs under active BLM enforcement, NHPA historic register listing (54 U.S.C. § 300101), FAA R-5107 WSMR proximity under 14 CFR § 73.3, and MBTA raptor nesting 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 at Three Rivers Petroglyph Site under BLM regulations, controlled by the Bureau of Land Management — Roswell Field Office. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without a BLM Special Recreation Permit. The site contains over 21,000 individual petroglyphs carved by |
| Mapped shapes | — | 1a364fb6-2445-4b68-84bc-be9c5caea9f2 |
Before
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without BLM Special Recreation Permit - Archaeological Layer: ⚠️ ARPA maximum enforcement — 21,000+ petroglyphs, active BLM law enforcement presence - Military Proximity: ⚠️ WSMR R-5107 restricted airspace ~8 miles southwest; NOTAMs may extend temporary restrictions over site without notice ## Geographic Boundaries Three Rivers Petroglyph Site is located in Otero County, New Mexico, administered by the BLM Roswell Field Office. - Total area: ~711 acres - Coordinates: 33.3897° N, 105.8408° W - Nearest city: Tularosa, NM (~17 miles south); Carrizozo, NM (~18 miles north) - Terrain: basaltic ridgeline rising above Tularosa Basin; petroglyph-covered lava flow escarpment stretching ~1 mile; partially excavated Mogollon pit house village at northern end of site - Contains 21,000+ individual petroglyphs depicting humans, animals, plants, masks, and geometric designs — densest concentration of Jornada Mogollon rock art in existence - Jornada Mogollon occupation: ~900–1400 CE - White Sands Missile Range R-5107 restricted areas begin ~8 miles southwest - Active WSMR test schedules may trigger NOTAMs affecting local airspace - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G - Base elevation: ~5,300 ft MSL ## Regulations - BLM UAS Policy IM 2015-122 prohibits unauthorized drone operations on BLM lands - 43 CFR § 8360.0-7 — Aircraft use restrictions on BLM-managed lands - Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) — 21,000+ petroglyphs and pit house village constitute one of the largest ARPA-protected rock art complexes under BLM jurisdiction in the United States; BLM law enforcement officers conduct regular patrols specifically for ARPA violations - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — site listed on National Register of Historic Places - 14 CFR § 73.3 — WSMR R-5107 restricted airspace proximity; active NOTAMs may extend temporary restrictions without notice - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — raptor nesting on basaltic ridgeline outcrops - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide ## Penalties - BLM fines up to $1,000 per violation under 43 CFR § 8360.0-7 - ARPA violations: fines up to $20,000 + 2 years imprisonment (first offense); up to $100,000 + 5 years (second offense); BLM actively prosecutes ARPA violations at this site — documented enforcement history - NHPA civil penalties for damage to registered historic property - R-5107 incursion: federal criminal charges under 49 U.S.C. § 46307 - MBTA violations: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 32 for willful violations - Equipment confiscation by BLM law enforcement rangers ## Special Permissions - BLM Special Recreation Permit required; ARPA compliance plan must be submitted with permit application - Mandatory NOTAM check before every operation: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp - ARPA federal research permit + tribal consultation (Mescalero Apache Tribe and other affiliated tribes) required for any petroglyph documentation flight - DoD coordination with WSMR Public Affairs recommended for operations within 10 miles of R-5107 boundary Submit requests to: BLM Roswell Field Office, 2909 W 2nd Street, Roswell, NM 88201 Mescalero Apache Tribe: Mescalero Apache Tribal Offices, 101 Central Avenue, Mescalero, NM 88340
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+ ## Authorization Status + - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without BLM Special Recreation Permit + - Archaeological Layer: ⚠️ ARPA maximum enforcement — 21,000+ petroglyphs, + active BLM law enforcement presence + - Military Proximity: ⚠️ WSMR R-5107 restricted airspace ~8 miles southwest; + NOTAMs may extend temporary restrictions over site without notice + + ## Geographic Boundaries + Three Rivers Petroglyph Site is located in Otero County, New Mexico, + administered by the BLM Roswell Field Office. + - Total area: ~711 acres + - Coordinates: 33.3897° N, 105.8408° W + - Nearest city: Tularosa, NM (~17 miles south); Carrizozo, NM (~18 miles north) + - Terrain: basaltic ridgeline rising above Tularosa Basin; petroglyph-covered + lava flow escarpment stretching ~1 mile; partially excavated Mogollon + pit house village at northern end of site + - Contains 21,000+ individual petroglyphs depicting humans, animals, plants, + masks, and geometric designs — densest concentration of Jornada Mogollon + rock art in existence + - Jornada Mogollon occupation: ~900–1400 CE + - White Sands Missile Range R-5107 restricted areas begin ~8 miles southwest + - Active WSMR test schedules may trigger NOTAMs affecting local airspace + - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G + - Base elevation: ~5,300 ft MSL + + ## Regulations + - BLM UAS Policy IM 2015-122 prohibits unauthorized drone operations on BLM lands + - 43 CFR § 8360.0-7 — Aircraft use restrictions on BLM-managed lands + - Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 470aa) — 21,000+ + petroglyphs and pit house village constitute one of the largest ARPA-protected + rock art complexes under BLM jurisdiction in the United States; BLM law + enforcement officers conduct regular patrols specifically for ARPA violations + - National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 300101) — site listed on + National Register of Historic Places + - 14 CFR § 73.3 — WSMR R-5107 restricted airspace proximity; active NOTAMs + may extend temporary restrictions without notice + - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — raptor nesting on basaltic + ridgeline outcrops + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + + ## Penalties + - BLM fines up to $1,000 per violation under 43 CFR § 8360.0-7 + - ARPA violations: fines up to $20,000 + 2 years imprisonment (first offense); + up to $100,000 + 5 years (second offense); BLM actively prosecutes ARPA + violations at this site — documented enforcement history + - NHPA civil penalties for damage to registered historic property + - R-5107 incursion: federal criminal charges under 49 U.S.C. § 46307 + - MBTA violations: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 32 for willful violations + - Equipment confiscation by BLM law enforcement rangers + + ## Special Permissions + - BLM Special Recreation Permit required; ARPA compliance plan must be + submitted with permit application + - Mandatory NOTAM check before every operation: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp + - ARPA federal research permit + tribal consultation (Mescalero Apache Tribe + and other affiliated tribes) required for any petroglyph documentation flight + - DoD coordination with WSMR Public Affairs recommended for operations + within 10 miles of R-5107 boundary + Submit requests to: BLM Roswell Field Office, + 2909 W 2nd Street, Roswell, NM 88201 + Mescalero Apache Tribe: Mescalero Apache Tribal Offices, + 101 Central Avenue, Mescalero, NM 88340