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Drone Rules for Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
Marble Falls, Texas (TX)
• United States
24518 Ranch Rd 1431, Marble Falls, TX 78654, USA
Lat: 30.5858 • Lng: -98.0398
Rules Edit History: Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
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May 30, 2026 7:46 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Balcones Canyonlands NWR with golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo ESA nesting season enforcement context.
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Approved
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Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 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 Balcones Canyonlands NWR northwest of Austin. The refuge was established primarily to protect black-capped vireo (threatened) and golden-cheeked warbler (endangered) nesting habitat. |
| Mapped shapes | — | afdb1718-e93f-4b0a-8828-3555c1c3eaee |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Balcones Canyonlands NWR, Texas **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 and ESA protections for golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo. ### Airspace / Site Context - Located ~30 NM northwest of Austin; Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS) Class C outer ring does not extend this far, but Round Rock/Georgetown development creates drone density concerns - Golden-cheeked warbler nests exclusively in Ashe juniper/Texas oak habitat in central Texas; the refuge protects ~25,000 acres of prime habitat - Black-capped vireo nests in low dense shrubs; drone shadow and noise trigger alarm calls and nest abandonment ### Key Rules - Warbler nesting season (March-July): USFWS enforces strict no-approach buffer zones near occupied territories - Leander/Georgetown area airports Class G; no LAANC required but USFWS refuge boundary must be respected - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research; songbird nest monitoring permits require USFWS Texas Midcoast NWR Complex approval ### Source - USFWS Balcones Canyonlands: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/balcones-canyonlands
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+ ## Drone Rules - Balcones Canyonlands NWR, Texas + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 and ESA protections for golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Located ~30 NM northwest of Austin; Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS) Class C outer ring does not extend this far, but Round Rock/Georgetown development creates drone density concerns + - Golden-cheeked warbler nests exclusively in Ashe juniper/Texas oak habitat in central Texas; the refuge protects ~25,000 acres of prime habitat + - Black-capped vireo nests in low dense shrubs; drone shadow and noise trigger alarm calls and nest abandonment + + ### Key Rules + - Warbler nesting season (March-July): USFWS enforces strict no-approach buffer zones near occupied territories + - Leander/Georgetown area airports Class G; no LAANC required but USFWS refuge boundary must be respected + - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research; songbird nest monitoring permits require USFWS Texas Midcoast NWR Complex approval + + ### Source + - USFWS Balcones Canyonlands: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/balcones-canyonlands +