Win for wildlife in Menlo Park

Win for wildlife in Menlo Park

Great news for wildlife in Menlo Park! The Menlo Park City Council voted to ban the use of drones in Bedwell Bayfront Park due to the impacts on wildlife, hazards to planes, and inconsistency with the park’s Master Plan.

Committee for Green Foothills and other groups have been advocating with Menlo Park to ban drones and other unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in Bedwell Bayfront Park for the past year. While we do not oppose drone activity in appropriate locations, Bedwell Bayfront Park is one of the least appropriate locations anywhere in the region. Birds in the adjacent Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge are known to react to drones flying overhead much as they do to avian predators; the flight paths for both the Palo Alto and San Carlos Airports go directly over Bedwell Bayfront Park and drone flights cause a safety hazard to planes; and the park’s Master Plan specifically states that the park is intended for passive recreation and the opportunity for people to enjoy peace and quiet.

On Tuesday, the Menlo Park City Council voted to ban drones and UAS systems in city parks due to all of these concerns.

Thank you to the Menlo Park City Councilmembers who voted to protect the environment.

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