Small aircraft, big impact: drones

The ban on overflights
The law is clear. Article 3 of the Framework Law on protected areas n.394/1991 states: "In parks, activities and works that could compromise the safeguarding of the protected landscapes and natural environments, with particular regard to the protected flora and fauna, and their respective habitats, are prohibited. In particular, the following are prohibited: […] h) unauthorized overflight of aircraft, except as defined by laws on flight regulations."

When the text was discussed and drafted, the regulation applied to the means of the time known and used, including airplanes, helicopters, motor model aircraft, hang gliders, and paragliders. Over 30 years later, the widespread use of drones does not alter the substance of the legislative framework of that time because - as we will try to explain in the following paragraphs - the overflight of any aircraft has an impact on ecosystems. Therefore, since within protected areas certain human activities must conform to environmental protection principles, the use of drones in the Cozie Alps Parks is authorized only for professional, monitoring, and scientific research purposes. The use of remotely piloted aircraft for these purposes in natural parks, nature reserves, and Natura 2000 sites managed by the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps is subject to a specific request and impact assessment.

From a practical point of view, there is an inconsistency in the application of D-Flight, the official tool of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) to disseminate "air rules" among drone pilots because, at the moment, the boundaries of protected areas in Piedmont are not displayed among the no-fly zones in the appropriate layer of digital cartography. However, these bans have been further reiterated by ENAC in Circular ATM-09A. In case of doubt, it is always recommended to contact the Park Authority for more information and clarification.

The impact of overflights
Compared to the noise and strong air movements of airplanes and helicopters, the disturbance to plants and animals caused by a drone may seem insignificant. "Yet - says Domenico Rosselli, a park ranger of the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps - scientific literature has begun to focus on the impact that these aircraft have, especially on wildlife. For raptors and generally predatory birds, the drone is seen as a competing counterpart and is often attacked with the risk of serious injuries caused by the propellers. For all other animals, a remotely piloted aircraft, even of small size, is perceived as a source of alert. We ourselves conducted some empirical experiments by flying over herds and flocks of domestic livestock in the high pastures. Well, even the behavior of animals accustomed to human presence and to the disturbances of anthropized environments is often stressed by the flight of a drone. It is easy to imagine the panic reaction that wild ungulates or, even worse, smaller fauna such as reptiles or rodents may have, perceiving drones as the raptors that prey on them. Just as many bird species may be directly disturbed by this mechanical counterpart".

Concretely, the staff of the Cozie Alps Parks has witnessed several conflicts between drones and wildlife, as well as numerous interventions by monitoring authorities to sanction violations by pilots who did not comply with the rules.

"The most incredible case - adds Giuseppe Roux Poignant, another park ranger - happened to me in the Bardonecchia area. Some reports indicated the presence of a strange object inside the nest of a pair of eagles that had settled in that area. Upon closer observation with binoculars and a telescope, it turned out to be a drone that the two raptors had apparently preyed upon and transported to their shelter. Fortunately, shortly afterward, the remains of the aircraft disappeared, likely expelled from the nest".

The task of an environmental protection agency is to identify and sanction situations that cause significant damage to the protected natural heritage, but at the same time to prevent and discourage the very common behaviors that, individually generating limited effects on the environment, collectively can have massive impacts. This is the case with drones due to their ease of use and widespread availability.

"Evidently - concludes Rosselli - any aircraft, even the smallest ones now on the market, represents a disturbance factor in the natural context of a park or protected area. And it is clear that the impact depends on the use. One thing is to fly with the specific intention of filming fauna, trying to get as close as possible to animals or bird nests. Another is to take a few photos or shoot some videos to capture a beautiful landscape or a nice day in nature. However, we will never tire of repeating that in protected areas, humans must relate to the surrounding environment, avoiding disturbance as much as possible. Just like drones, precisely".