BLM Issues Public Safety Measures for 2017 Burning Man
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WINNEMUCCA, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca District Office announced a temporary closure and restrictions for certain activities on public lands that immediately surround the site of the 2017 Burning Man event. The temporary closure and restrictions, effective July 31, 2017 through September 20, 2017, provide for public safety and the protection of public resources.
The Burning Man is a festival held from August 27 through September 4 of 2017, on BLM-managed public lands in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. The temporary closure affects 14,153 acres, or about 13 percent, of the Black Rock playa within the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NCA). The temporary closure reserves the 8-Mile entrance to the Black Rock Desert playa solely for Burning Man ticket holders, but all other playa access points and nearly 87 percent of the playa remains open to public use.
This year, the event expects to host nearly 70,000 people. The temporary closure will remain in effect three weeks prior to and three weeks following the Burning Man event in order to facilitate set up and preparation for the event, including fencing the site perimeter prior to the event and completing site cleanup following the event.
“Similar temporary closures for the Burning Man event in past years have been implemented with minimal disruption to other public uses within the area,” said BLM Black Rock Field Manager Mark E. Hall
Temporary restrictions are in effect to underscore that certain activities remain prohibited during the festival. Prohibited activities include disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, underage use of alcohol, possession of weapons, fires, and discharge of waste water within the closure area.
The BLM will post information signs and make maps available to the public that provide detailed information about the temporary closure and restrictions. This information will be available at main entry points around the playa, at the BLM Winnemucca District Office, at the Black Rock Visitor Center, and on the BLM’s website. The full text of the Federal Register notice for the temporary closure and restrictions can be viewed at http://bit.ly/2shRR0X.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.