Public input sought on eliminating air tours at Mt. Rushmore Monument

KEYSTONE, S.D. – There is currently a proposal by the National Parks Service and the Federal Trade Aviation Administration seeking public input on whether air tours for Mount Rushmore and the Badlands should be eliminated.

Black Hills Aerial Adventures has been operating in South Dakota for 30 years and said they would have liked to have been part of initial discussions.

Currently, Black Hills Aerial Adventures and one other company in Spearfish are allowed to fly within five thousand flights per year in the boundaries of Mount Rushmore, and as of right now, there are few restrictions when flying over the national parks in South Dakota.

However, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, says there should be restrictions on flights over the National Parks.

The National Parks Service and the FAA are seeking public input to draft an air tour management plan for Mount Rushmore. The comment deadline is June 20^th.