Helicopter Bans in Mount Rushmore, Badlands Upheld on Appeal

Prohibitions on all air tours through and near the Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Parks were upheld by a federal appeals court after a panel found the government reasonably analyzed wildlife impacts.

Several helicopter tour operators failed in their bid to block the Air Tour Management Plans enacted after the companies refused to participate in a voluntary agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration, Interior Department, and National Parks Service and the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled the agencies based their noise impact analyses on accurate flight-level data.

Badger Helicopters Inc., Black Hills Aerial Adventures Inc., and ...