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Drone Rules for Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Chincoteague, Virginia (VA)
• United States
8231 Beach Rd, Chincoteague, VA 23336, USA
Lat: 37.9087 • Lng: -75.3559
Rules Edit History: Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
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May 30, 2026 7:14 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Chincoteague NWR with wild pony herd panic, piping plover nesting, and dual USFWS/NPS jurisdiction context.
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Approved
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Your proposed edit detailing drone regulations at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, including USFWS and NPS prohibitions, wild pony herd panic, piping plover nesting, and dual jurisdiction context, has been approved. This aligns with USFWS and NPS 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 Chincoteague NWR. The refuge protects the famous Assateague Island wild ponies and critical piping plover nesting beaches. Assateague Island National Seashore (NPS) is co-located. |
| Mapped shapes | — | 9ecfa201-0bf3-48c9-82e3-0ae483e1b56a |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Chincoteague NWR, Virginia **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210; the co-located Assateague Island NS (NPS) also bans drones under 36 CFR 1.5. ### Airspace / Site Context - The wild Assateague Island ponies (Chincoteague strain) roam the refuge; drone disturbance triggers herd panic with documented foal injuries - Piping plover (threatened) and least tern (state endangered) nest on Tom's Cove beach April-August - Salisbury Regional (SBY) Class D is ~30 NM west; Ocean City (OCE) Class D is ~10 NM north ### Key Rules - Both USFWS and NPS jurisdiction cover different parcels of the island; drones are prohibited under both agencies' rules - Annual pony swim (July) draws thousands of spectators; zero-tolerance enforcement during the event - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research; NPS permit separately required if crossing into Seashore parcels ### Source - USFWS Chincoteague: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/chincoteague
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+ ## Drone Rules - Chincoteague NWR, Virginia + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210; the co-located Assateague Island NS (NPS) also bans drones under 36 CFR 1.5. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - The wild Assateague Island ponies (Chincoteague strain) roam the refuge; drone disturbance triggers herd panic with documented foal injuries + - Piping plover (threatened) and least tern (state endangered) nest on Tom's Cove beach April-August + - Salisbury Regional (SBY) Class D is ~30 NM west; Ocean City (OCE) Class D is ~10 NM north + + ### Key Rules + - Both USFWS and NPS jurisdiction cover different parcels of the island; drones are prohibited under both agencies' rules + - Annual pony swim (July) draws thousands of spectators; zero-tolerance enforcement during the event + - USFWS Special Use Permit required for research; NPS permit separately required if crossing into Seashore parcels + + ### Source + - USFWS Chincoteague: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/chincoteague +