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NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration is banning drone flights within 400 feet (122 meters) of several national landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore.
The FAA announced the no-fly drone zones at 10 Department of the Interior sites on Thursday. They take effect Oct. 5.
The restricted sites also include Boston National Historical Park, Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park and Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri.
Five dams also are on the list: Nevada's Hoover Dam, Shasta and Folsom Dams in California, Arizona's Glen Canyon Dam and Washington's Grand Coulee Dam.
Drone violators may face civil penalties and criminal charges.
The FAA and DOI have agreed to restrict drone flights up to 400 feet within the lateral boundaries of these sites:
- Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York, NY
- Boston National Historical Park (U.S.S. Constitution), Boston, MA
- Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PA
- Folsom Dam; Folsom, CA
- Glen Canyon Dam; Lake Powell, AZ
- Grand Coulee Dam; Grand Coulee, WA
- Hoover Dam; Boulder City, NV
- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; St. Louis, MO
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial; Keystone, SD
- Shasta Dam; Shasta Lake, CA
The FAA says the new restrictions came at the request of U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies.
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