Entire coastline of CA is drone free as of 2017.

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I just learned flying a drone along most of the coast in California is now illegal from the BLM. Seems some California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act of 2017 signed by Obama put the coastline under National Monument status. Extends 12 miles out into the ocean too.

CA Coastal National Monument

Quote is from the third bullet down from the BLM's "Know Before You Go" page: BLM's "Know Before You Go"

"To have a safe visit and protect wildlife on the CCNM, please don't bring any fireworks, weapons, aircraft (motorized or non-motorized, drones), or start a fire as all of these are prohibited."
 
Do you have a geo-referenced map showing the areas involved. I went to your link and there was no map showing the area closed to drone flights, or even showing the area of the monument.
Joe
KC7GHT
 
Do you have a geo-referenced map showing the areas involved. I went to your link and there was no map showing the area closed to drone flights, or even showing the area of the monument.
Joe
KC7GHT

I first saw it on the USGS map for earthquakes yesterday. Zoom in along the CA coastline and they show it. The USGS map is updated probably more often than many we see.

USGS CA Coastline map.
 
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I looked at the map. I read the website. AFAIK, the CCNM is NOT the actual beach & entire coast line, just certain areas along the coast.

See California Coastal National Monument | Bureau of Land Management :

"Connecting the Pacific Ocean with the land, the California Coastal National Monument provides unique coastal habitat for marine-dependent wildlife and vegetation on more than 20,000 rocks, islands, exposed reefs and pinnacles along the California coastline, as well as 7,924 acres of public land in six onshore units: Trinidad Head, Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch, Lost Coast Headlands, Point Arena-Stornetta, Cotoni-Coast Dairies, and Piedras Blancas."


Nothing said about actual beach / shoreline. Just lots of spots along (near) the coastline and 6 bigger areas. There's a big different of what is a shoreline and that of a coastline.

Regarding the 12 mile limit:

"The off-shore rocks and islands included in the Monument are those exposed above mean high tide, and within 12 nautical miles of the mainland along the 1,100 mile California coastline. "

This means that the rocks and islands that are within the 12 mile limit coastline limit are included. The rules for them are not a 12 mile area around them. Likewise same wording about the length of the coastline. It's just defining where said monuments can be found.
 
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There's a better BLM map here of what coastline they now cover as part of the National Monument or Conservation Area shown in red. My estimate ia maybe 70-80% of the CA coastline is under their control.

BLM Map

I was at the BLM and they were grumbling about having to take over the CA lighthouses from whomever, and wanting more money, but this was prior to the 2017 Monument expansion too. Don't know if they took over the CA Coastal Commission (Was state run.) as part of the federal deal.
 

If you zoom in, what initially appeared to be a solid red line is actually a series of small dots. Mostly in the size of a few feet to some maybe 40ft long. That is what I believe the CA CNM oversees. Not the water, not the beaches, just the land that pokes above the surface & reefs. And, of course, the six onshore areas mentioned.
1556839013781.png


Just as a sanity check. If flying over anything along 90% the coast, from the waters edge to 12 miles out, was against the rules, I'm pretty sure we would have heard about it before now.
 
If you zoom in, what initially appeared to be a solid red line is actually a series of small dots. Mostly in the size of a few feet to some maybe 40ft long. That is what I believe the CA CNM oversees. Not the water, not the beaches, just the land that pokes above the surface & reefs. And, of course, the six onshore areas mentioned.View attachment 110976

Just as a sanity check. If flying over anything along 90% the coast, from the waters edge to 12 miles out, was against the rules, I'm pretty sure we would have heard about it before now.

Got it! The BLM map needs a lot of zoom and waiting to see the small dots instead of the line. The USGS earthquake one is the one that alarmed me as the USGS seems to say everything is CA Coastal Monument.

Aside, I never have seen a BLM ranger on Hwy. 1 though. Some Forest Service green trucks is about it. I would have thought it would be under a coastal commission as all the BLM lands seems to be inland desert, other than them inheriting the lighthouses.
 
BLM has no authority to regulate airspace. The FAA are the only ones that can regulate airspace. I challenged NOAA on a Marine Sanctuary and the FAA intervened and set them straight. Be careful though unless you are making money because you will be painting a bullseye on your back. Better have everything in order. Your best bet is to first contact your FSDO. If you don’t know what that is, well best to leave it alone.
 
Since when is it illegal to fly in a national monument? I know there are a few that are off limits to drones but not many.

Mr.G
 
I just learned flying a drone along most of the coast in California is now illegal from the BLM. Seems some California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act of 2017 signed by Obama put the coastline under National Monument status. Extends 12 miles out into the ocean too.

CA Coastal National Monument

Quote is from the third bullet down from the BLM's "Know Before You Go" page: BLM's "Know Before You Go"

"To have a safe visit and protect wildlife on the CCNM, please don't bring any fireworks, weapons, aircraft (motorized or non-motorized, drones), or start a fire as all of these are prohibited."
Its not the entire, coast, don't blame Obama, its to prevent oil drilling. I fly in malibu, on the beach, it's legal. Oh and the water is clean and free of Oil cause Obama signed the act. By the way a National Monument is not the same as a National Park, and the FAA needs to designate as No Fly Zone and it didn't ...
 
I was warned flying just outside of Point Lobos near Monterey that flying in the area was banned, but at the time I believe only lands belonging or managed by reserve itself were the issue. That was a recent change however, as most CA state beaches allowed drones up until 2018. That area is some of the most photogenic I know, and I’ve gotten some of my best footage there. Given these BLM managed areas are so disconnected and often are just rocks or beach shoals, how are we supposed to know and they supposed to manage these restrictions? Unless the BLM plans to put up a lot of signage, bans on flying drones from BLM lands becomes unenforceable.
 
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Since when is it illegal to fly in a national monument? I know there are a few that are off limits to drones but not many.

Mr.G
Dont k
Since when is it illegal to fly in a national monument? I know there are a few that are off limits to drones but not many.

Mr.G

Knowing the name of a federal park or protected area tells you practically nothing about the rules for flying there. Most important is to identify the managing agency, and even then you may still have to consult air maps or call and ask questions. It can be a PITA if you want to be legal, but it is what it is.

Every agency has different regs about drone surface ops. For the National Park Service it is easy; everything they manage prohibits drones, which includes all national parks, some national monuments, national recreation areas, seashores, and historic sites. The BLM manages many national monuments, recreation areas, seashores and historic sites, and they are generally open, except for closures here and there which they may or not publicize very well. Same for the USFS, except for prohibitions in virtually all wilderness and primitive areas. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has some closures including seasonal closures, which they don't publicize very well.

And to repeat: federal land management agencies control their land surface but not their airspace; that's where the FAA comes in. So in theory, you can fly through federal park airspace as long as you start and finish outside. Crash inside and you may be a lawbreaker. However, many federal parks do have airports, heliports or MOAs adjacent or inside, such as the Regional Hub airport inside Grand Teton National Park. Also, some parks have been granted FAA restrictions, such as Grand Canyon NP, which has heavy sightseeing aircraft use. Look at the air maps.

I wish it were easier to figure out and some day it might be, but for now, you have to do some research before you fly.
 
If someone lives in the Monterey, CA area, might be helpful to go to the main BLM office of the monumnet and ask "Where can we fly a drone at?"

California Coastal National Monument
Bureau of Land Management
940 2nd Avenue
Marina, CA 93933-6009

I've had issues with emailing bureaucratic outfits as the one who knows (Supervisior) is often not there, doesn't do emails, and it takes some chain-of-command to get a real answer out of them (e.g. U.S. Forest Service who took months on a commerical permit.). I had an issue in the desert and had I not checked in with the local controlling office in charge, the ranger's interaction may not have one so well (I got the head guy's business card.). I was surprised the area was controlled by four agencies too: BLM, military, justice department (!?!), and local county sheriff. Probably any one of them could call it tresspassing.

The CA Monument rocks are probably for some wildlife. How far out their limits go is probably a ranger's call if one were flying around some seagulls or sea lions. FAA may control airspace, but some ground outfits may see otherwise like the flights around the Grand Canyon and how low aircraft can get into it without a permit, or disturbing wildlife elsewhere with a drone.
 
I just learned flying a drone along most of the coast in California is now illegal from the BLM. Seems some California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act of 2017 signed by Obama put the coastline under National Monument status. Extends 12 miles out into the ocean too.

CA Coastal National Monument

Quote is from the third bullet down from the BLM's "Know Before You Go" page: BLM's "Know Before You Go"

"To have a safe visit and protect wildlife on the CCNM, please don't bring any fireworks, weapons, aircraft (motorized or non-motorized, drones), or start a fire as all of these are prohibited."
Looking at the
I just learned flying a drone along most of the coast in California is now illegal from the BLM. Seems some California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act of 2017 signed by Obama put the coastline under National Monument status. Extends 12 miles out into the ocean too.

CA Coastal National Monument

Quote is from the third bullet down from the BLM's "Know Before You Go" page: BLM's "Know Before You Go"

"To have a safe visit and protect wildlife on the CCNM, please don't bring any fireworks, weapons, aircraft (motorized or non-motorized, drones), or start a fire as all of these are prohibited."

When I look at the map it seems to me the area covers from San Luis Obispo all the way North almost to the border with Oregon. However, the area it may be not all inclusive I don’t think it is all restricted:
 
The NOAA and other agencies have laid claim to airspace. Flying below 1,000 ft. over Snowy Plovers, sea otters, condor areas, or other areas shown on sectionals can result in stiff fines. Best we all familiarize ourselves with those little dots on the charts.
2F96EA0C-2874-4A1A-B1B5-23E9D2F527D4.png
 
I wonder, have any of you watched the series Planet Earth. It’s quite wonderful and close up views of various animals, birds and other wildlife. It includes some spectacular aerial views of birds over water scapes, large masses of land mammals, whales at sea.

How do you think they got these images? Mostly from either helicopter shots or drone shots. I don’t hear an uproar over how the noise of that helicopters caused the birds to spring to flight stressing them, or how the obtrusive drone short caused seal stress by flushing them.

I guess because they are “professional” and paid their $2k permit fee they get to play by different rules. If that is the case, fine let us pay a reasonable permit fee and prove we are competent (I.e. have a license and insurance), but reasonable needs to be reasonable, not $2k. All out bans are not reasonable.
 
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