Interior Secretary David Bernhanrd told the Wall Street Journal he believed the department would be “very able” to complete its objectives “without sacrifice,” although he also hoped domestic drone makers would replace Chinese equipment at some point.

It’s not certain that the fears are justified, however. DJI, which makes many of the Interior Department’s drones, has maintained that the Chinese government has never asked for drone data. Moreover, the company allows operators to limit data access and even worked with the Interior Department to tighten restrictions on data transmissions. Whether or not DJI is right when it says the grounding is part of a “politically motivated agenda” to prop up US businesses, there’s no public evidence to support claims of DJI enabling Chinese spies.

The grounding could significantly hinder the Interior Department’s efforts. Until the flight ban, workers were using the drones to inspect things like endangered species and soil erosion. They’ll now have to either use conventional aircraft or forego information altogether, at least until there’s an American drone option. That could put people at unnecessary risk and inflate the costs of key tasks.