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Drone Rules for Willapa National Wildlife Refuge
Long Beach, Washington (WA)
• United States
7112 67th Pl, Long Beach, WA 98631, USA
Lat: 46.3648 • Lng: -123.992
Rules Edit History: Willapa National Wildlife Refuge
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May 30, 2026 8:33 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Willapa NWR with snowy plover Leadbetter Point nesting closure, old-growth Sitka spruce marbled murrelet, and Pacific Coast estuary context.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.75
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Willapa National Wildlife Refuge has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibiting drone operations within national wildlife refuges. The added context regarding the refuge's location, the presence of threatened species such as the western snowy plover and marbled murrelet, and the diverse habitats 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 Willapa NWR. The estuary complex on Willapa Bay hosts one of the largest remaining stands of old-growth Sitka spruce on the Pacific coast and critical shorebird staging habitat. |
| Mapped shapes | — | ec5dab61-d648-40d0-be9f-d09f0d855d89 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Willapa NWR, Washington **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210. ### Airspace / Site Context - 16,000-acre refuge complex including Leadbetter Point, Long Island, and Lewis Unit; one of the largest estuaries on the Pacific Coast - Snowy plover (threatened) nests on Leadbetter Point beach April-August; the nesting area is closed to all public access - Astoria Regional (AST) Class D is ~25 NM south; Portland (PDX) Class B is ~80 NM south; local airspace is Class G ### Key Rules - Snowy plover nesting closure (April-August): entire Leadbetter Point is closed to ground and air access; launching a drone from the public access parking is a federal violation - Old-growth Sitka spruce on Long Island (accessible by boat only): drone noise disrupts Marbled murrelet nesting (threatened) - USFWS Special Use Permit required; plover season research permits go to USFWS Pacific Region ### Source - USFWS Willapa: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/willapa
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+ ## Drone Rules - Willapa NWR, Washington + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - 16,000-acre refuge complex including Leadbetter Point, Long Island, and Lewis Unit; one of the largest estuaries on the Pacific Coast + - Snowy plover (threatened) nests on Leadbetter Point beach April-August; the nesting area is closed to all public access + - Astoria Regional (AST) Class D is ~25 NM south; Portland (PDX) Class B is ~80 NM south; local airspace is Class G + + ### Key Rules + - Snowy plover nesting closure (April-August): entire Leadbetter Point is closed to ground and air access; launching a drone from the public access parking is a federal violation + - Old-growth Sitka spruce on Long Island (accessible by boat only): drone noise disrupts Marbled murrelet nesting (threatened) + - USFWS Special Use Permit required; plover season research permits go to USFWS Pacific Region + + ### Source + - USFWS Willapa: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/willapa +