News Release

Public Input  Sought on Proposed Air Tour Management Plan for San Francisco Bay Area Parks

Date: October 15, 2021

SAN FRANCISCO—The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are seeking public feedback on a combined draft Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) that is being proposed for Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, and Point Reyes National Seashore. 

The NPS and FAA encourage anyone with an interest in or concern about air tours over Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, and Point Reyes National Seashore to review and comment on the draft ATMP. The proposed plan would authorize up to 2,548 air tours per year on defined routes. Due to the overlapping geographic locations of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park all authorized air tour routes fly over both parks. Of these, 143 of the total commercial air tours authorized may also include Point Reyes National Seashore. No helicopter air tours are authorized over Point Reyes National Seashore. No commercial air tours are authorized over Muir Woods National Monument. The total number of air tours authorized under the draft ATMP is consistent with the existing air tours reported over the parks. 

Public feedback can be provided through the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website from October 15, 2021 through November 15, 2021. The NPS and FAA will consider the comments received to help inform the final ATMP for the San Francisco Bay Area Parks. The project website is available at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/BayAreaATMP. A virtual public meeting is scheduled for October 26, 2021, from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. The meeting will be available via Livestream at: https://youtu.be/vVlOC2ovidA  

"We encourage anyone who is interested in air tours over the parks to share their thoughts on the proposed plan," said Charles Strickfaden, the park's Communications Director. "The draft plan is based on current operations and reported air tour levels at the four Bay Area federal parks. Its purpose is to ensure that park resource values, including natural sounds, wilderness character, visitor experiences, wildlife, and other natural and cultural resources, are protected."

Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, and Point Reyes National Seashore are among 24 units of the National Park System developing air tour management plans in cooperation with the FAA. The agencies hope to complete all air tour management plans by the end of August 2022. The schedule is part of a plan approved by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for the agencies to comply with the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 within two years.   

An important part of the process is the inclusion of American Indian Tribes. The agencies are consulting with Tribes that have tribal lands within or adjacent to the Bay Area Parks, and with Tribes that attach historic and cultural significance to resources within the parks.   

Please visit the NPS Air Tours site and the FAA ATMP site for more detailed information about air tour management plans. Links to meeting notifications, recordings, and slide decks (where applicable) will be posted to the NPS site. 

The 24 parks: 

1. Arches National Park, Utah  
2. Badlands National Park, South Dakota  
3. Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico  
4. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah  
5. Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona  
6. Canyonlands National Park, Utah  
7. Death Valley National Park, California  
8. Everglades National Park, Florida  
9. Glacier National Park, Montana  
10. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area; Arizona, Utah  
11. Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California  
12. Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Tennessee, North Carolina  
13. Haleakalā National Park, Hawai’i  
14. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Hawaiʻi  
15. Lake Mead National Recreation Area; Arizona, Nevada  
16. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington  
17. Muir Woods National Monument, California  
18. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota  
19. Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah  
20. National Parks of New York Harbor Management Unit; New York, New Jersey  
21. Olympic National Park, Washington  
22. Point Reyes National Seashore, California  
23. Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Utah  
24. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, California  

For more information see the specific park unit contact information below: 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Muir Woods National Monument: 

Charles Strickfaden, [e-mail], [phone],  www.nps.gov/goga and www.nps.gov/muwo 

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park:  

Morgan M. Smith, [e-mail], [phone],  www.nps.gov/safr 

Point Reyes National Seashore:  

Christine M. Beekman, [e-mail], [phone], www.nps.gov/pore