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U.S. Department 

### of Transportation Docket Operations West 

### Building Ground 

### Floor, Room 

### W12-140 1200 

### New Jersey

### Avenue, SE. Washington, 

### DC 20590 

### August

### 28,2012 Georgia Department of 

### Natural Resources 

### Aircraft Support 

### Unit-Law Enforcement 4005 Fulton 

### Industrial 

### Blvd. Atlanta Georgia, 30336 

### Authority: 

### Title 14, Code 

### of Federal Regulations, Part 11-15 Purpose: Petition 

### for Exemptionto FAR 91-205(h)
The Georgia Department 

### of Natural Resources 

### (DNR), 

### Aircraft Federal 

### AviationAdministration 

### for anexemption 

### from Federal Support 

### Unit-Law Enforcement, petitions the Regulation 

### (FAR) 91.205(h). DAN FORSTER DIRECTOR

The Georgia Department 

### of Natural Resources is a State

### of Georgia government agency charged 

### with conserving and managing the state's natural resources, and 

### providing 

### public safety.The

### Aircraft Support 

### Unit is part 

### ofthe 

### Law Enforcement Section 

### ofthe

### Wildlife Resources 

### Division and operates afleet 

### of (3) 

### FAA certificated 

### Bell Helicopters: (1) 

### Bell 407, 

### (1) 

### Bell 206L-4, and 

### (1) 

### Bell 2068-3. Georgia is one

### of the most 

### naturally diverse states 

### in the country, ranging 

### from mountains and

### valleys

### of northwest Georgia to thousands 

### of acres

### of farmland in the south 

### to marshlands along the coast. Coastal Georgia alone consists 

### of a

### half-million acres

### of estuaries 

### containing: 368,000 acres

### of salt marsh, 3,400 

### miles of

### tidal shoreline, 100 miles 

### of sand beaches, 14 

### banier islands, and 300 square 

### miles 

### of state 

### territorial waters. Georgia's statewide 

### network of deepwater ports and inland barge operations, 

### to include 

### two of the busiest ports onthe east coast 

### ofthe 

### U.S. add to the challenges

### of providing security and 

### public safety 

### in anenvironment 

### of minimal, or non-existent, ambient 

### light for night air operations. 

### DNR has usedand 

### relied upon 

### Night Vision Goggles 

### (NVG) for more

### than 16 years 

### to mitigate the inherent 

### risksof night

### flight operations over

### this environment 

### in the prosecution 

### of our duties

### to preserve resources, enforce laws and regulations, conduct search and rescue, 

### officer safety

### for DNR Rangers on the ground, 

### port security, assisting Coast Guard and Homeland Security assets, and

### public safety 

### to more than 9

### million people 

### living in the state. 

### FAR 91.205(h) has

### significantly impacted our 

### ability to conduct our missions at 

### night and 

### still maintain a 

### level of safety and effectiveness. 

### FAR 91.205(h) hasforced us

### to suspend 

### NVG operations 

### in our aircraft 

### resulting in a

### significant reduction 

### in our

### abilityto provide 

### public safety services, and safety

### for our aircrews.

,4.rttc RAf ,t' &L.tyi' {}W.t N.tI\:t lT_-I.,&W gNT {;}K{:Tifrtfi?.tr"2 4tl\5 FwXt"*xt trntfuts,uialfiXvd.l A"e:lerHt;, Ctt:rgiz 38i3{: 4tt,4"305.4<)34 

### | T;p"N404.5{}5.&47 IWWW.{}t1{}t4{}tp^WlLT}1,,tYYt.Ct}?,tU.S. Department 

### of Transportation

Attachment (2) August 

### 28,2012 Page2

The 

### DNR 

### Aircraft Supporl 

### Unit has safely operated at 

### nightwith 

### NVG'swith the

### factory cockpit 

### lighting dimmed 

### without asingle 

### incident or accident since operations began many years ago.

### All of our 

### pilots are ex

### military with numerous hours and experience

### flying on 

### NVG's. We 

### utilize 

### ITT Industries 

### AN/AVS-9 F4949 Generation 

### III devices that are maintained 

### to manufacturer specifications by 

### Night Flight Concepts, Inc. Specific 

### policies and procedures aredocumented 

### in our Operations 

### Manual (See 

### Attachment 1)

### to ensure safe 

### NVG operations relative 

### totraining, proficiency and

### flight planning. We are 

### confidentwe

### will continue to operate safely at 

### night

### with 

### NVG's while operating under exemption 

### from 

### FAR 91.205(h).
The State

### of Georgia continues 

### to experience 

### significant budget 

### shorlfalls for the last several years dueto reduced revenues and higher operating costs, and projected 

### to remain so

### for the next 

### few years. 

### DNR has received estimates 

### to upgrade the 

### cockpit 

### lighting of allthree

### aircraft from an approved vendor that exceeds $75,000 per 

### aircraft. Budgetary constraints 

### will not 

### allow us

### to allocate thefunds 

### for the 

### lighting upgrade 

### to be 

### in compliance 

### with FAR 91-205(h) 

### fot the next 

### few years. 

### Efforts areongoing 

### to pursueavailable grant money, and in the next 

### legislative session, 

### to bring all aircraft into compliance. 

### DNR is requesting exemption 

### from FAR 91.205(h) 

### for aperiod 

### of (2) years, 

### with a 

### review atthe end of that period 

### for extension 

### if needed. The exemption is requested 

### for the

### following aircraft'. 

### NSNR SA{53382 

### Bell407
N35NR SAI 52137 

### Bell206L-4
N38NR SA{

## 3288 Bell2068-3 A summary 

### of the 

### Petition for Exemption to FAR 91.205(h) is attached 

### for publication in the Federal Register (Attachment 2).
Please feel free 

### to contact me

### for further information, andthank you 

### for your consideration. 

# k{M*-

Captain Ed

### Watkins Georgia Department 

### of Natural Resources 

### Aircraft Support 

### Unit (912)638-271 (912)634-8541 Fax ed.watkins@dnr. state. ga.usU.S. Department 

### of Transportation

Attachment (2) 

### August

### 28,2012 Page 3



### SUMMARY: The Georgia Department 

### of Natural Resources 

### (DNR), 

### Aircraft Support 

### Unit-Law Enforcement, submits a 

### Petitionfor Exemption from CFR 14 

### FAR 91.205(h) 

### toallow agency 

### aircraft to continue 

### to operate at 

### night with Night 

### Vision Goggles 

### (NVG) utilizing current 

### factory 

### lighting in certificated 

### Bell Helicopters. 

### DNR has used and 

### relied upon 

### Night Vision Goggles 

### (NVG) 

### for 17 years to 

### mitigate the inherent risks 

### of night

### flight operations in the prosecution 

### ofduties to preserve resources, enforce laws and regulations, conduct search and rescue,

### officer safety 

### to 

### DNR Rangers on the ground, 

### port security, assisting Coast Guard and Homeland Security assets, and 

### public safety

### to more than 9 

### million people 

### living in the state. 

### DNR is requesting exemption 

### from FAR 91.205(h) 

### for a

### period 

### of (2) years, 

### with a 

### review atthe end 

### of that period 

### for extension 

### if needed.

. 

### Efforts areongoing to pursueavailable grant money 

### for the upgrade, and 

### in the next 

### legislative season to 

### bring 

### all aircraft into compliance.