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Drone Rules for Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Princeton, Oregon (OR) • United States
Princeton, OR 97721, USA
Lat: 43.3125 • Lng: -118.875
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 30, 2026
Summary
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Malheur NWR prohibits all UAS operations under USFWS Director's Order 210. The remote high-desert refuge in Oregon's Harney Basin is one of the most important bird areas in the American West, hosting 320+ species.

Drone Rules - Malheur NWR

All drone operations are prohibited under USFWS Director's Order 210 (2015) without a Special Use Permit.

Airspace / Site Context

  • Burns Municipal Airport (KBNO) uncontrolled field lies ~30 miles NW
  • Refuge spans 187,757 acres in the remote Great Basin high desert
  • Elevation 4,090 ft MSL; terrain includes Malheur Lake, Harney Lake, and Blitzen Valley
  • Critically important for Greater Sandhill Crane and Trumpeter Swan nesting

Key Rules

  • No UAS without USFWS Special Use Permit
  • Sandhill Crane nesting areas closed to all disturbance March-August
  • Snowy Plover (ESA threatened) nests on exposed mudflats
  • FAA TFRs may be issued during wildfire season (June-September)

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