I’m a wildlife professional. And the national parks in the US are some of the very best in the world - especially in Utah, California, Arizona, and New Mexico (and not forgetting Yellowstone). I’ve covered them in a couple of coffee-table books.
Yes, there should definitely be restrictions on drones in these special places for a number of reasons.
And, yes, permission for flying is usually just granted to film companies and researchers. And, yes, there are other exceptions. So, in a general sense, both sides of the argument can be viewed as (more or less) right.
And, yes, the perpetrator should have been reported. There’s enough stupidity as it is, especially of the type which negatively affects wildlife - but also brash behaviour that spoils a trip of a lifetime for some people.
Just to repeat, to all American forum members: You’re so fortunate having these great national parks. Okay, the number of visitors has increased over the past decades to a level that has unfortunate impacts. But there’s winter time and dawn where the numbers reduce. Arches National Park is special, together with the nearby Canyonlands.