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Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS, also known as drones) are revolutionizing environmental
monitoring along North Carolina’s changing coastline. Drones are already utilized
by researchers at the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research
Reserve (NERR) to monitor intertidal oyster reefs, map submerged and emergent vegetated
ecosystems, quantify shoreline change, and identify marine debris, among other projects,
but the Reserve Program lacks a comprehensive policy to guide broader use and manage
associated risks. As a result, both commercial and recreational drone use present
ongoing management challenges for Reserve staff, posing potential hazards to both
visitors and wildlife. This project provides relevant policies, key considerations,
and tailored recommendations to assist the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and NERR
in developing a UAS policy and permitting process.
The following questions guide this work: 1) How are other agencies and organizations
managing drone operations? 2) Which “best practices” for environmental management,
monitoring, and conservation are especially applicable to the Reserve Program? 3)
What components should be considered for inclusion in the N.C. Coastal Reserve and
NERR UAS policy?
Based on a literature review of scientific journal articles and policy documents,
four major areas of focus emerged, including wildlife protection, visitor safety,
flight planning, and human privacy and security. These priority components can serve
as a jumping off point for the creation of a Reserve UAS policy. An accompanying resource
library, draft permit application, and concept of operations document will support
North Carolina Coastal Reserve and NERR staff as they draft and finalize a UAS policy
adaptive to rapidly changing technology. The resulting policy has the potential to
be shared across the NERR System as a model framework.
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