FAA Restricts Drones Over Major U.S. Landmarks

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a new regulation restricting unauthorized drone operations over 10 Department of Interior sites, including the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore.

The announcement Thursday says the two federal agencies "have agreed to restrict drone flights up to 400 feet within the lateral boundaries" of the following sites:
Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York
Boston National Historical Park (U.S.S. Constitution), Boston
Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia
Folsom Dam, Folsom, Calif.
Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell, Ariz.
Grand Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee, Wash.
Hoover Dam, Boulder City, Nev.
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, S.D.
Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, Calif.

The announcement says the action comes at "the request of U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies." It says it marks the first time the FAA has restricted drone flights over Interior Department landmarks, although many of the sites were covered by a National Park Service ban on drones issued in 2014.

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