WASHINGTON — To hasten the development of commercial drones, the Trump administration invited state, local and tribal governments Wednesday to establish experimental zones to test complex operations for the remote-controlled aircraft.

The goal of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy program is to spur using drones for things such as deliveries and agricultural surveys. It also aims to test detection and tracking of the devices and traffic-management systems to guide where they fly.

“Our nation will move faster, fly higher and soar proudly toward the next great chapter of American aviation,” said President Trump, who signed a memorandum creating the program Wednesday.

The drone industry is expected to grow dramatically as regulations are adopted. More than 1 million operators registered with the FAA, despite a federal court order that halted mandatory registration this year. The administration estimates the number of commercial drones could increase five-fold by 2021.

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The Federal Aviation Administration has at times come into conflict with state and local governments seeking to regulate drones for privacy or weapons because the federal agency contends it has sole regulatory authority over the skies. But the White House said the government’s regulations are outdated and limit a move toward sharing the skies with passenger planes.

Instead, it wants regulations that encourage innovation while ensuring safety to avoid drones colliding with other aircraft as well as hurting people or damaging property on the ground.

“This program supports the president’s commitment to foster technological innovation that will be a catalyst for ideas that have the potential to change our day-to-day lives,” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in a statement. “Drones are proving to be especially valuable in emergency situations, including assessing damage from natural disasters such as the recent hurricanes and the wildfires in California.”

The FAA created six experimental sites nationwide in 2013 to test functions such as flying a drone farther away than a pilot can see or testing how to reduce injuries and damage from a drone crash. The FAA also has a Pathfinder program encouraging companies to experiment with drones, such as with a special waiver to CNN for flying over crowds for newsgathering.

But the Trump administration is concerned that the pace of FAA approvals has sent technology companies to other countries to test and deploy drones. Project Wing is testing in Australia, Amazon is testing in the United Kingdom, and Zipline is flying operationally in Rwanda.

Rather than sending research funding and top experts to other countries, Trump contends that easing the regulatory burden will keep the U.S. at the forefront of aviation technology.

The administration plan calls for:

• The Transportation Department and FAA to create innovation zones with local governments within six months. At least five partnerships are expected.

• Drone companies and local governments to fly drones at night, farther than the pilot can see and over people so the FAA can evaluate the performance.

• Governments to collect information about traffic management of drones to determine how they can safely guide drones to fly around planes.

Those involved in the program will be able to demonstrate how their innovative technological and operational solutions can address complex unmanned aircraft integration challenges, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement.

“At the same time, the program recognizes the importance of community participation in meaningful discussions about balancing local and national interests related to integrating unmanned aircraft," Huerta said.

Doug Johnson, vice president of technology policy for the Consumer Technology Association, thanked Trump for helping the industry innovate. The FAA has absolute authority over national airspace, but the agency can't regulate technology innovation on its own, he said.

"In coordination with the FAA and recognizing the administration's ultimate authority, states and localities can help move the U.S. toward the safe integration of drones into our national airspace," Johnson said.

Rep. Jason Lewis, R-Minn., said Trump's program is an important step but still not enough for local control over drones governing privacy and property rights.

“As we move forward, the next step is to ensure that our communities cannot only help expand the beneficial uses of drones, but that they also have the ability to take effective action when it comes to putting in place reasonable limitations on public use,” Lewis said.