FAA caps air tours to cut noise pollution at Grand Canyon

Commercial operators flying over the Grand Canyon may have to reroute some tours as a result of new regulations by the Federal Aviation Administration

By Environmental News Network staff

April 4, 2000
Web posted at: 2:01 p.m. EDT (1801 GMT)

The Federal Aviation Administration has established new regulations designed to reduce noise from commercial air tours in Grand Canyon National Park. The rules will redirect routes away from sensitive areas of the park and limit the number of tours.

"Our goal is to prevent ... noise from getting worse by capping the number of air tours flown in the Grand Canyon," said Maureen Oltrogge, public affairs officer of Grand Canyon National Park, part of the National Park Service. "The rules are also helping us meet our goal of substantial restoration of 'natural quiet' by 2008."

The NPS defines natural quiet as naturally occurring, non-mechanized sounds found in the park. Substantial restoration requires that more than half of the park meet those conditions more than 75 percent of each day.

Until now, the number of visitors touring the park by air has not been restricted. The park has restricted the number of other visitors, including river rafters, mule riders, backcountry campers and overnight guests.

"Although the impact may be different ... air tourism and air tour-produced noises have significant resource and environmental impact. We are working to manage those flights for the protection of park resources and to provide a quality experience to all park visitors," said Grand Canyon park superintendent Robert Arnberger.

The new regulations do not apply to transportation, repositioning, maintenance or training flights.

One rule caps the annual number of air-tour flights over the park at 90,000, the number of tours reported from May 1997 through April 1998. Each operator will be allowed a fixed number of tours based on tours they reported from May 1997 through April 1998.

Supporters of the FAA's new regulations on air tours are hopeful that natural quiet will be restored in the Grand Canyon.

This regulation takes effect April 28. It will apply for two years, at which time FAA will re-evaluate the rule.

The second regulation, which begins Dec. 1, 2000, will increase flight-free zones from 45 percent to 75 percent of the park.

Tour operators will also be required to report any flights up to 17,999 feet. Previously, they were required to report flights up to 14,999 feet.

"The rule also increased the special flight rules area, a protective bubble over the Grand Canyon which is mostly the boundary of the national park," said Oltrogge.

All flight regulations apply within this area. "It doesn't mean they have to fly above 17,999, it just helps in the accuracy of reporting and noise modeling," Oltrogge said.

The NPS is working on a comprehensive noise management plan that will help the park service achieve its goal of substantial noise restoration in the canyon by 2008, said Oltrogge.

"This is the first time a limitation has been put on the number of commercial air tour operations in the Grand Canyon Special Flight Rules Area," said Arnberger. "With this operations limitation, the agencies' goal is to prevent acoustic conditions from further deterioration, while the National Park Service and FAA analyze noise conditions and design a comprehensive noise management plan. This plan is essential to the park's long-range efforts to achieve the goal of substantially restoring natural quiet."

Copyright 2000, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved

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The Federal Aviation Administration
Grand Canyon National Park
FAA's regulatory and safety information on-line resource guide
Air Grand Canyon

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