National Parks Air Tour Management Act

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to determine the status of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service's implementation of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000; assess how the air tour operators and national parks have been affected by implementation; and identify what issues, if any, need to be addressed to improve implementation. GAO recommends that Congress consider amending the act to give the agencies authority to determine which parks should develop plans, which would allow more cost-effective implementation. GAO also recommends that FAA take several actions to improve compliance, enforcement, and implementation. In commenting on the draft report, the Departments of Transportation and the Interior generally agreed with our recommendations.