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Drone Rules for Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters
Cache, Oklahoma (ok)
• United States
Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, Oklahoma 73552, USA
Lat: 34.7326 • Lng: -98.7137
Rules Edit History: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters
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Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 7:23 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Wichita Mountains NWR with bison herd stampede risk, Fort Sill R-5702 airspace, and black-capped vireo ESA context.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit detailing drone regulations at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, including the USFWS prohibition, bison herd stampede risk, Fort Sill R-5702 airspace, and black-capped vireo ESA 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.
Sources
- https://www.fws.gov/refuge/wichita-mountains — USFWS regulations under 50 CFR § 27.34, Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703), Wilderness Act motorized equipment prohibitions, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations within refuge boundaries.
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-27/section-27.34 — USFWS regulations under 50 CFR § 27.34, Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703), Wilderness Act motorized equipment prohibitions, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations within refuge boundaries.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Rule category | Air | Ground |
| Summary | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge under USFWS regulations, controlled by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit USFWS Special Use Permit. The refuge protects one of the oldest federal wildlife refuges | USFWS prohibits drones on Wichita Mountains NWR. The refuge maintains one of the oldest conservation herds of American bison (700+) and Texas longhorn cattle; drone noise causes herd stampedes. |
| Mapped shapes | 47802b9e-24f3-481c-896e-b6fbea739887 | 6a980888-cd41-466f-882c-66dec1bc78ba |
Before
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without USFWS Special Use Permit ## Geographic Boundaries Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge is located in Comanche County, Oklahoma, in the Wichita Mountains. - Total area: ~59,020 acres - Coordinates: 34.7333° N, 98.6833° W - Includes Mount Scott (2,464 ft), Lake Lawtonka, Quanah Parker Lake, and Charons Garden Wilderness Area - Nearest city: Lawton, OK (~25 miles southeast) ## Regulations - USFWS Refuge UAS Policy prohibits all UAS without Special Use Permit - 50 CFR § 27.34 — USFWS motorized equipment prohibition on refuges - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — Charons Garden Wilderness (~5,000 acres) within refuge - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects migratory species from harassment or disturbance - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G within refuge ## Penalties - USFWS fines up to $5,000 per violation under 50 CFR § 27.34 - Wilderness Act penalties for motorized equipment in wilderness zones - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment per disturbance - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by USFWS officers ## Special Permissions - USFWS Special Use Permit for scientific wildlife research - Wilderness research permit for Charons Garden zone - Documentary/media subject to strict seasonal USFWS review Submit requests to: Wichita Mountains NWR Manager, 32 Quanah Parker Lake Road, Indiahoma, OK 73552
After
## Drone Rules - Wichita Mountains NWR, Oklahoma **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210. ### Airspace / Site Context - 59,020-acre refuge established in 1905 as one of the first wildlife preserves in the US; the bison herd descends from a Bronx Zoo founder's gift - A stampeding bison herd creates extreme safety hazards; drone incidents have triggered herd runs in similar refuges - Lawton-Fort Sill Regional (LAW) Class D is ~25 NM southeast; Tinker AFB Class D is ~80 NM northeast ### Key Rules - Fort Sill artillery range restricted area (R-5702) may activate over the eastern edge of the refuge; check NOTAMs - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research or commercial UAS; bison herd management protocol must be followed - Black-capped vireo and black-tailed prairie dog colonies are also ESA-protected on the refuge ### Source - USFWS Wichita Mountains: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/wichita-mountains
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- - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without USFWS Special Use Permit - and Charons Garden Wilderness Area - - Nearest city: Lawton, OK (~25 miles southeast) - (~5,000 acres) within refuge - - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects migratory - species from harassment or disturbance - - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G within refuge - - Wilderness Act penalties for motorized equipment in wilderness zones - - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment per disturbance - - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - - Equipment confiscation by USFWS officers - ## Special Permissions - - USFWS Special Use Permit for scientific wildlife research - - Wilderness research permit for Charons Garden zone - - Documentary/media subject to strict seasonal USFWS review - Submit requests to: Wichita Mountains NWR Manager, - 32 Quanah Parker Lake Road, Indiahoma, OK 73552
May 27, 2026 10:38 PM
Approved
• Added a complete drone restriction profile for Wichita Mountains NWR based on USFWS 50 CFR § 27.34, MBTA migratory bird protections, Wilderness Act, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit has been approved. The information about the prohibition of drone operations at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge is accurate and well-supported by official sources. The outline you provided is appropriately placed around the refuge area. Thank you for your contribution.
Sources
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-27/section-27.34 — USFWS regulations under 50 CFR § 27.34, Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703), Wilderness Act motorized equipment prohibitions, and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 ban all unauthorized drone operations within refuge boundaries.
Changed fields
Mapped shape change
Click to load this change into the shared map viewer here.
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Rule category | Ground | Air |
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge under USFWS regulations, controlled by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit USFWS Special Use Permit. The refuge protects one of the oldest federal wildlife refuges |
| Mapped shapes | — | 47802b9e-24f3-481c-896e-b6fbea739887 |
Before
After
## Authorization Status - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without USFWS Special Use Permit ## Geographic Boundaries Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge is located in Comanche County, Oklahoma, in the Wichita Mountains. - Total area: ~59,020 acres - Coordinates: 34.7333° N, 98.6833° W - Includes Mount Scott (2,464 ft), Lake Lawtonka, Quanah Parker Lake, and Charons Garden Wilderness Area - Nearest city: Lawton, OK (~25 miles southeast) ## Regulations - USFWS Refuge UAS Policy prohibits all UAS without Special Use Permit - 50 CFR § 27.34 — USFWS motorized equipment prohibition on refuges - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — Charons Garden Wilderness (~5,000 acres) within refuge - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects migratory species from harassment or disturbance - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G within refuge ## Penalties - USFWS fines up to $5,000 per violation under 50 CFR § 27.34 - Wilderness Act penalties for motorized equipment in wilderness zones - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment per disturbance - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day - Equipment confiscation by USFWS officers ## Special Permissions - USFWS Special Use Permit for scientific wildlife research - Wilderness research permit for Charons Garden zone - Documentary/media subject to strict seasonal USFWS review Submit requests to: Wichita Mountains NWR Manager, 32 Quanah Parker Lake Road, Indiahoma, OK 73552
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+ ## Authorization Status + - Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned + - Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without USFWS Special Use Permit + + ## Geographic Boundaries + Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge is located in Comanche + County, Oklahoma, in the Wichita Mountains. + - Total area: ~59,020 acres + - Coordinates: 34.7333° N, 98.6833° W + - Includes Mount Scott (2,464 ft), Lake Lawtonka, Quanah Parker Lake, + and Charons Garden Wilderness Area + - Nearest city: Lawton, OK (~25 miles southeast) + + ## Regulations + - USFWS Refuge UAS Policy prohibits all UAS without Special Use Permit + - 50 CFR § 27.34 — USFWS motorized equipment prohibition on refuges + - Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. § 1131) — Charons Garden Wilderness + (~5,000 acres) within refuge + - Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — protects migratory + species from harassment or disturbance + - FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations nationwide + - Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G within refuge + + ## Penalties + - USFWS fines up to $5,000 per violation under 50 CFR § 27.34 + - Wilderness Act penalties for motorized equipment in wilderness zones + - MBTA fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment per disturbance + - FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day + - Equipment confiscation by USFWS officers + + ## Special Permissions + - USFWS Special Use Permit for scientific wildlife research + - Wilderness research permit for Charons Garden zone + - Documentary/media subject to strict seasonal USFWS review + Submit requests to: Wichita Mountains NWR Manager, + 32 Quanah Parker Lake Road, Indiahoma, OK 73552