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Air Tour Management Plan - Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park » Air Tour Management Plan - Everglades National Park » Document List
Dear Friends of Everglades National Park,
The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have initiated development of the proposed Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) for Everglades National Park. The objective of this Plan is to develop acceptable and effective measures to mitigate or prevent the significant adverse impacts, if any, of commercial air tours on natural and cultural resources, visitor experiences and tribal lands.
As part of this process, we are inviting public feedback on the proposed ATMP for Everglades National Park. The proposed ATMP may be accessed under "Document List".
The NPS and the FAA will host a virtual public meeting regarding the plan during the 30-day comment period on Thursday, August 19th at 6:30 PM ET. A link to join the virtual public meetings may be accessed under "Meeting Notices". You are invited to attend this meeting to share your thoughts and ask NPS and FAA representatives any questions you may have.
We also invite you to submit written comments by August 28, 2021. On the left column, click on 'Open For Comment' to open the comment fields.
A summary of the proposed action, background information, and existing conditions for air tours at the Park is provided below.
Proposed Action:
The proposed action is to implement an Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) that would delineate acceptable levels of commercial air tours including, but not limited to, frequency, duration, altitude, and routes, consistent with the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (Act). Congress developed the Act out of concern that noise from tour aircraft could harm national park resources and experiences for visitors.
Background and Purpose:
The Act, as amended, requires that all commercial air tour operators conducting or intending to conduct a commercial air tour operation over a unit of the National Park system apply to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for authority to undertake such activity. The Act further requires the FAA, in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS), to establish an ATMP or voluntary agreement for each park that did not have such a plan or agreement in place at the time the applications were made, unless a park has been otherwise exempted from this requirement.
The Act applies to areas within and 1/2 mile outside of a park, and to elevations below 5,000 feet above ground level (AGL). The Act requires that an ATMP include incentives for the adoption of quiet aircraft technology and provide for the allocation of opportunities to conduct air tours when the ATMP limits the number of operations. An ATMP may prohibit commercial air tour operations (in whole or in part), and can establish conditions for the conduct of air tour operations (including routes, altitudes, time-of-day restrictions, restrictions for particular events, maximum numbers of flights, or other provisions).
In establishing an ATMP, the Act requires the agencies to publish the proposed plan for notice and comment and hold at least one public meeting. The public meeting for this ATMP will be held on Thursday, August 19, 2021 (6:30-8:00 pm ET), and comments on this ATMP will be accepted until August 28, 2021.
Air tours at the Park have been ongoing since before the Act was enacted. The Act directed the FAA to grant interim operating authority (IOA) to operators that were already conducting tours at the Park when the Act became effective until an ATMP is developed. An operator's IOA is based on the number of the operator reported it was conducting annually at the time the Act was passed. IOA does not set routes or operating conditions for an operator except to limit the number of air tours the operator is permitted to fly each year. Implementation of an ATMP will replace IOA.
Existing Conditions for Commercial Air Tours at Everglades National Park:
One commercial air tour operator, Robert C. Gretzke DBA Wings Aero Tours, currently conducts commercial air tours at Everglades National Park. The operator holds Interim Operating Authority (IOA) for up to 674 flights at the Park each year. Based on the three-year average of reporting data from 2017 to 2019, Wings Aero Tours conducts an average of 64 commercial air tours at the Park each year. Wings Aero Tours conducts commercial air tours on eight different routes within the Park. The most frequently flown route is the Ten Thousand Islands Tour (TTIT), which starts and ends at the Everglades Airpark and provides visitors with backcountry views of the wilderness waterway within the Park. All routes are flown using a Cessna 206E fixed-wing aircraft, with altitudes between 500 feet and 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL). Altitude expressed in AGL units is a measurement of the distance between the ground surface and the aircraft. Commercial air tours are typically conducted between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM and may occur any day of the week.
Under existing conditions, the annual number of commercial air tours at Everglades National Park is limited by the IOA; however, there are no designated parameters on route, time-of-day, or altitude restrictions to further protect Park resources or visitor experience. Currently, no procedures are in place that allow the Park to establish no-fly periods for special events or planned Park management. There are currently no training or education requirements for the commercial air tour operator flying over the Park. The provisions and conditions in the proposed ATMP address these parameters in a manner designed to protect Park resources and visitor experience from the effects of commercial air tours and support NPS management objectives for the Park.
Consultations:
Forty seven federally threatened/endangered species are present/have critical habitat in the project area. Wood stork (Mycteria americana) are under consideration as potentially being affected by the ATMP. The NPS and FAA have begun early coordination with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and anticipates conducting informal consultation with a determination of may affect, not likely to adversely affect.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(a)(2), the FAA has been designated the lead Federal agency acting on behalf of the NPS and is fulfilling the collective responsibilities of both agencies under Section 106 of NHPA. Section 106 consultations are ongoing.
Thank you for your interest and participation.
Sincerely,
Pedro Ramos
Superintendent
305-242-7821
Submit written comments to:
National Park Service
Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division
EVER ATMP
1201 Oakridge Dr., Suite 100
Fort Collins, CO 80525
The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have initiated development of the proposed Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) for Everglades National Park. The objective of this Plan is to develop acceptable and effective measures to mitigate or prevent the significant adverse impacts, if any, of commercial air tours on natural and cultural resources, visitor experiences and tribal lands.
As part of this process, we are inviting public feedback on the proposed ATMP for Everglades National Park. The proposed ATMP may be accessed under "Document List".
The NPS and the FAA will host a virtual public meeting regarding the plan during the 30-day comment period on Thursday, August 19th at 6:30 PM ET. A link to join the virtual public meetings may be accessed under "Meeting Notices". You are invited to attend this meeting to share your thoughts and ask NPS and FAA representatives any questions you may have.
We also invite you to submit written comments by August 28, 2021. On the left column, click on 'Open For Comment' to open the comment fields.
A summary of the proposed action, background information, and existing conditions for air tours at the Park is provided below.
Proposed Action:
The proposed action is to implement an Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) that would delineate acceptable levels of commercial air tours including, but not limited to, frequency, duration, altitude, and routes, consistent with the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (Act). Congress developed the Act out of concern that noise from tour aircraft could harm national park resources and experiences for visitors.
Background and Purpose:
The Act, as amended, requires that all commercial air tour operators conducting or intending to conduct a commercial air tour operation over a unit of the National Park system apply to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for authority to undertake such activity. The Act further requires the FAA, in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS), to establish an ATMP or voluntary agreement for each park that did not have such a plan or agreement in place at the time the applications were made, unless a park has been otherwise exempted from this requirement.
The Act applies to areas within and 1/2 mile outside of a park, and to elevations below 5,000 feet above ground level (AGL). The Act requires that an ATMP include incentives for the adoption of quiet aircraft technology and provide for the allocation of opportunities to conduct air tours when the ATMP limits the number of operations. An ATMP may prohibit commercial air tour operations (in whole or in part), and can establish conditions for the conduct of air tour operations (including routes, altitudes, time-of-day restrictions, restrictions for particular events, maximum numbers of flights, or other provisions).
In establishing an ATMP, the Act requires the agencies to publish the proposed plan for notice and comment and hold at least one public meeting. The public meeting for this ATMP will be held on Thursday, August 19, 2021 (6:30-8:00 pm ET), and comments on this ATMP will be accepted until August 28, 2021.
Air tours at the Park have been ongoing since before the Act was enacted. The Act directed the FAA to grant interim operating authority (IOA) to operators that were already conducting tours at the Park when the Act became effective until an ATMP is developed. An operator's IOA is based on the number of the operator reported it was conducting annually at the time the Act was passed. IOA does not set routes or operating conditions for an operator except to limit the number of air tours the operator is permitted to fly each year. Implementation of an ATMP will replace IOA.
Existing Conditions for Commercial Air Tours at Everglades National Park:
One commercial air tour operator, Robert C. Gretzke DBA Wings Aero Tours, currently conducts commercial air tours at Everglades National Park. The operator holds Interim Operating Authority (IOA) for up to 674 flights at the Park each year. Based on the three-year average of reporting data from 2017 to 2019, Wings Aero Tours conducts an average of 64 commercial air tours at the Park each year. Wings Aero Tours conducts commercial air tours on eight different routes within the Park. The most frequently flown route is the Ten Thousand Islands Tour (TTIT), which starts and ends at the Everglades Airpark and provides visitors with backcountry views of the wilderness waterway within the Park. All routes are flown using a Cessna 206E fixed-wing aircraft, with altitudes between 500 feet and 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL). Altitude expressed in AGL units is a measurement of the distance between the ground surface and the aircraft. Commercial air tours are typically conducted between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM and may occur any day of the week.
Under existing conditions, the annual number of commercial air tours at Everglades National Park is limited by the IOA; however, there are no designated parameters on route, time-of-day, or altitude restrictions to further protect Park resources or visitor experience. Currently, no procedures are in place that allow the Park to establish no-fly periods for special events or planned Park management. There are currently no training or education requirements for the commercial air tour operator flying over the Park. The provisions and conditions in the proposed ATMP address these parameters in a manner designed to protect Park resources and visitor experience from the effects of commercial air tours and support NPS management objectives for the Park.
Consultations:
Forty seven federally threatened/endangered species are present/have critical habitat in the project area. Wood stork (Mycteria americana) are under consideration as potentially being affected by the ATMP. The NPS and FAA have begun early coordination with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and anticipates conducting informal consultation with a determination of may affect, not likely to adversely affect.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(a)(2), the FAA has been designated the lead Federal agency acting on behalf of the NPS and is fulfilling the collective responsibilities of both agencies under Section 106 of NHPA. Section 106 consultations are ongoing.
Thank you for your interest and participation.
Sincerely,
Pedro Ramos
Superintendent
Contact Information
Tatiana Marquez, Park Planner305-242-7821
Submit written comments to:
National Park Service
Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division
EVER ATMP
1201 Oakridge Dr., Suite 100
Fort Collins, CO 80525