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Drone Rules for Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge
Awendaw, South Carolina (SC)
• United States
Lighthouse Rd, Awendaw, SC 29429, USA
Lat: 32.9049 • Lng: -79.5995
Rules Edit History: Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge
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Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 7:30 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Cape Romain NWR with loggerhead sea turtle nesting, boat-only access, and ESA Section 9 night-flight disturbance context.
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Approved
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Your proposed edit detailing drone regulations at Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, including the USFWS prohibition, loggerhead sea turtle nesting, boat-only access, and ESA Section 9 night-flight disturbance 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.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | USFWS prohibits drones on Cape Romain NWR. The 66,000-acre barrier island complex is accessible only by boat and is the largest loggerhead sea turtle nesting site north of Florida. |
| Mapped shapes | — | bd6a4fdd-997e-455d-915d-c7efde336138 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Cape Romain NWR, South Carolina **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210; boat access only makes enforcement remote but citations have been issued. ### Airspace / Site Context - Bull Island and Cape Island host the largest loggerhead sea turtle nesting aggregation in the Southeast outside Florida - Drone overflight during nesting season (May-October) at night disrupts light-sensitive nesting behavior; daytime flights disturb hatchery probes - Charleston International (CHS) Class C outer ring extends toward the cape; local airspace is Class G/E ### Key Rules - Loggerhead sea turtle (threatened) and leatherback sea turtle (endangered) both nest here; ESA Section 9 take prohibition applies - Boat-launched drone from outside refuge waters still violates USFWS Director's Order 210 once the UAS enters refuge airspace - USFWS Special Use Permit required for sea turtle research UAS; only active at night with extreme lighting protocols ### Source - USFWS Cape Romain: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/cape-romain
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+ ## Drone Rules - Cape Romain NWR, South Carolina + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210; boat access only makes enforcement remote but citations have been issued. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Bull Island and Cape Island host the largest loggerhead sea turtle nesting aggregation in the Southeast outside Florida + - Drone overflight during nesting season (May-October) at night disrupts light-sensitive nesting behavior; daytime flights disturb hatchery probes + - Charleston International (CHS) Class C outer ring extends toward the cape; local airspace is Class G/E + + ### Key Rules + - Loggerhead sea turtle (threatened) and leatherback sea turtle (endangered) both nest here; ESA Section 9 take prohibition applies + - Boat-launched drone from outside refuge waters still violates USFWS Director's Order 210 once the UAS enters refuge airspace + - USFWS Special Use Permit required for sea turtle research UAS; only active at night with extreme lighting protocols + + ### Source + - USFWS Cape Romain: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/cape-romain +