Its illegal to film in national parks?

MtRainDog

Well-Known Member
I’ve never heard of such a thing (except from HOA which aren’t gov’t). Is this in US?
Yes this is in the US.

An HOA is a very different thing. It's a homeowner's association that you have to agree to when buying a home in some subdivisions/neighborhoods. It's a private (non-governement) association made up of the individual homeowners. They can be both good and bad... There's plenty of places without HOA's too. They mainly exist to keep a certain "standard" of maintenance and upkeeping of your residence and property. (Grass needs to be cut, mold needs to be power-washed off the siding, etc.)

Permits are required by either your State or local government to engage in certain activities. Hunting, fishing, yard sales, bonfires, selling prepared foods, etc. These may vary from place to place, but it's mostly the same everywhere.
 

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
Yes this is in the US.

An HOA is a very different thing. It's a homeowner's association that you have to agree to when buying a home in some subdivisions/neighborhoods. It's a private (non-governement) association made up of the individual homeowners. They can be both good and bad... There's plenty of places without HOA's too. They mainly exist to keep a certain "standard" of maintenance and upkeeping of your residence and property. (Grass needs to be cut, mold needs to be power-washed off the siding, etc.)

Permits are required by either your State or local government to engage in certain activities. Hunting, fishing, yard sales, bonfires, selling prepared foods, etc. These may vary from place to place, but it's mostly the same everywhere.
Guess I never lived in such a place! I’m not trying to ride you; I’m genuinely surprised.
 

hanimmal

Well-Known Member
Guess I never lived in such a place! I’m not trying to ride you; I’m genuinely surprised.
Or you just didn't realize it because your bonfires don't get the cops called on them and they need some bullshit excuse to legally shut you down.

Question, if a bunch of drunk kids start a bonfire in the middle of nowhere and nobody sees them (and nobody killed themselves driving home), did it really happen?

-Pre-cell phone era, shit I am glad I grew up before I would have had proof shoved in my face every time I was a drunk asshole kid (although not having as much lead paint/toys around would have been nice).
 

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
Or you just didn't realize it because your bonfires don't get the cops called on them and they need some bullshit excuse to legally shut you down.

Question, if a bunch of drunk kids start a bonfire in the middle of nowhere and nobody sees them (and nobody killed themselves driving home), did it really happen?

-Pre-cell phone era, shit I am glad I grew up before I would have had proof shoved in my face every time I was a drunk asshole kid (although not having as much lead paint/toys around would have been nice).
yeah I remember the fateful year when the beach we visited every summer posted and enforced “no bonfires”.
“but then what else is all this driftwood FOR?”
 

thumper60

Well-Known Member
Yes this is in the US.

An HOA is a very different thing. It's a homeowner's association that you have to agree to when buying a home in some subdivisions/neighborhoods. It's a private (non-governement) association made up of the individual homeowners. They can be both good and bad... There's plenty of places without HOA's too. They mainly exist to keep a certain "standard" of maintenance and upkeeping of your residence and property. (Grass needs to be cut, mold needs to be power-washed off the siding, etc.)

Permits are required by either your State or local government to engage in certain activities. Hunting, fishing, yard sales, bonfires, selling prepared foods, etc. These may vary from place to place, but it's mostly the same everywhere.
Only place you see HOAS here is on private roads with more than 1 house its all about road upkeep an who pays i belong to one dont pay the fee get a lien
 

MtRainDog

Well-Known Member
Only place you see HOAS here is on private roads with more than 1 house its all about road upkeep an who pays i belong to one dont pay the fee get a lien
My neighborhood has one, but it's only to upkeep the common areas. The city plows and maintains are roads here. Our dues are only $300/yr. Other neighborhoods around me can be nightmares though. HOA's with a board made up of bored housewife Karens who will go around "policing" up the neighborhood, nitpicking, and getting on people's cases and in their business. I'm very glad mine isn't like that. I'd move.
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
My neighborhood has one, but it's only to upkeep the common areas. The city plows and maintains are roads here. Our dues are only $300/yr. Other neighborhoods around me can be nightmares though. HOA's with a board made up of bored housewife Karens who will go around "policing" up the neighborhood, nitpicking, and getting on people's cases and in their business. I'm very glad mine isn't like that. I'd move.
I would never live in an HOA. We don't have many HOA housing developments here in Portland like they do in some states. Everyone I know that lives somewhere governed by one is always complaining.

The city is split up into a bunch of different neighbourhood associations but there are no dues and they can't tell you what you can or can't do. I don't even know what they actually do other than show up at city council meetings to complain about potholes and have meetings where they all sit around feeling important. I've never been to a meeting and don't plan to.
 

canndo

Well-Known Member
i live on the edge of the great smoky mtn national park. they have regulations, but not about private individuals running around with a video camera or a phone recording anything. the regulations apply to professionals, who must have permits allowing them to operate in the park.
private citizens can do whatever they want, within the other rules of the park.

This is not what is indicated in the national park web site guidelines.

"
Federal law requires a permit for all commercial filming, no matter the size of the crew or the type of equipment.

- This includes individuals or small groups that don’t use much equipment, but generate revenue by posting footage on websites, such as YouTube and TikTok. -


The primary focus of the NPS, however, is on commercial filming that has the potential to impact park resources and visitors beyond what occurs from normal visitor use of park areas. Examples of this type of filming are productions that use substantial equipment such as sets and lighting, productions with crews that exceed 5 people, and filming in closed areas, wilderness areas, or in locations that would create conflicts with other visitors or harm sensitive resources.


- All filmers, no matter the size, must comply with all rules that apply in park areas, just like other visitors. -
 

Roger A. Shrubber

Well-Known Member
This is not what is indicated in the national park web site guidelines.

"
Federal law requires a permit for all commercial filming, no matter the size of the crew or the type of equipment.

- This includes individuals or small groups that don’t use much equipment, but generate revenue by posting footage on websites, such as YouTube and TikTok. -


The primary focus of the NPS, however, is on commercial filming that has the potential to impact park resources and visitors beyond what occurs from normal visitor use of park areas. Examples of this type of filming are productions that use substantial equipment such as sets and lighting, productions with crews that exceed 5 people, and filming in closed areas, wilderness areas, or in locations that would create conflicts with other visitors or harm sensitive resources.


- All filmers, no matter the size, must comply with all rules that apply in park areas, just like other visitors. -
that may be what the regulations say, but 14 million people a year come through the park, which is underfunded and undermanned. they don't even come close to having time to enforce any rules about single individuals that are just recording on a hand held video camera.
they may take some kind of action if they notice it on youtube, but i doubt anyone is going to jail, they'd probably just ask youtube to take it down.
it happens so much, i wasn't even aware of that particular regulation, and apparently no one else is.
commercial photographers, wedding photographers, videographers have to get a permit, i don't know the cost, but i have at least seen that in the list of rules.
 

canndo

Well-Known Member
Same goes for open bonfires. You'd get a permit from your local Fire Dept. There's lots of things like this. Usually, it's just so you can agree to some basic safety guidelines, and they're making sure you're not a complete moron.
that may be what the regulations say, but 14 million people a year come through the park, which is underfunded and undermanned. they don't even come close to having time to enforce any rules about single individuals that are just recording on a hand held video camera.
they may take some kind of action if they notice it on youtube, but i doubt anyone is going to jail, they'd probably just ask youtube to take it down.
it happens so much, i wasn't even aware of that particular regulation, and apparently no one else is.
commercial photographers, wedding photographers, videographers have to get a permit, i don't know the cost, but i have at least seen that in the list of rules.

Indeed, which opens the door to selective enforcement. Believing one will not get caught in the rules does not indemnify a citizen.
 

Roger A. Shrubber

Well-Known Member
Indeed, which opens the door to selective enforcement. Believing one will not get caught in the rules does not indemnify a citizen.
no, it does not, and i wasn't suggesting it should, but in the grand scheme of things, lewis from phili making a few dollars from youtube posting a video shot in the park doesn't qualify as grand larceny. it's hardly worth enforcing, and was probably added as a deterrent to nuisance "videographers"...but breaking the law is breaking the law, so if the park decides to spend the time doing that instead of the mountain of work they already have, that's up to them.
 

JessieJim

Member
I don't see anything wrong with the fact that I use my drone in public places, of course, it doesn't fly close to people and doesn't interfere with them, while it doesn't even make a lot of sounds. Parks, forests, streets, it seems to me that this is permissible. But I don't shoot anything in our neighborhood community. Since you can get a lawsuit.
 

Roger A. Shrubber

Well-Known Member
I don't see anything wrong with the fact that I use my DJI mini se in public places, of course, it doesn't fly close to people and doesn't interfere with them, while it doesn't even make a lot of sounds. Parks, forests, streets, it seems to me that this is permissible. But I don't shoot anything in our neighborhood community. Since you can get a lawsuit.
drones are not permitted in the park, too many opportunities to spook wildlife and invade others space. i have seen them shut drone operators down as soon as they see them.
 

Roger A. Shrubber

Well-Known Member
I understand your concern but I do it very carefully
it's not my concern, and you can do as you like, but i have personally witnessed rangers shutting down drone operators as quickly as they notice them.
they'll come back and check, too, watched one guy get his shit confiscated when they caught him a second time in the same place within 30 minutes.
 

thumper60

Well-Known Member
My neighborhood has one, but it's only to upkeep the common areas. The city plows and maintains are roads here. Our dues are only $300/yr. Other neighborhoods around me can be nightmares though. HOA's with a board made up of bored housewife Karens who will go around "policing" up the neighborhood, nitpicking, and getting on people's cases and in their business. I'm very glad mine isn't like that. I'd move.
The only reason we have one is i live on a private dirt rd that needs to be graded twice a yr on top of lots of plowing in the winter its pretty tough to get people to pay with out the lien penalty. You dont find HOAs here on public, town owned rds really no reason for it.
 
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