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Lawmakers weigh allowing limited drone launches in state parks; DNCR urges rulemaking route
Summary
Sponsor Rep. Lisa Post asked lawmakers to permit limited recreational and commercial drone use in state parks while ensuring FAA compliance and safeguards for visitor privacy.
CONCORD — Representative Lisa Post, prime sponsor of HB 644, asked the committee to revisit a longstanding state policy that had led to signage effectively banning drone launches in some state parks.
Drew McCallmont, a licensed private pilot and commercial drone pilot, testified that many states allow drone operations in national forests or with permitting and urged lawmakers to adopt a framework similar to the U.S. Forest Service: allow launches and landings under conditions that require FAA compliance, training and an approved permit process for commercial operations. McCallmont said hobbyist uses are common, educational and generally lower noise than motorized recreation, and he urged rules that permit responsible use rather than a blanket ban.
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) said it already issues special‑use permits for drones in parks and that the division is preparing administrative rule changes. Director Brian Wilson said the division is concerned about visitor privacy, the “quiet enjoyment” of parks and enforceability of vague statutory language; he recommended that drone rules and any associated fees be adopted through the department’s existing administrative rule and fee processes (RSA 216‑A:3), rather than by statute.
A Department of Safety aviation trooper asked the committee to consider cross‑reference to other pending bills that define drone‑related crimes and penalties and to ensure any park statute is consistent with state law enforcement authority and FAA jurisdiction over airspace.
Why it matters: The bill would put statewide statutory guardrails around the launching and retrieval of small unmanned aircraft in state parks. DNCR urged the administrative‑rule path to set operational limits and fees and noted enforcement and privacy issues.
Next steps: Committee members discussed rulemaking and whether the statute should set broad principles while leaving operational rules and fees to DNCR’s administrative process.
