BLM issues public safety measures for 2018 Burning Man event
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WINNEMUCCA, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca District Office announced a temporary closure and temporary restrictions for certain activities on public lands that immediately surround the site of the 2018 Burning Man event. The closure and restrictions go into effect July 29. The temporary closure of lands surrounding the site has always been a regular part of pre-event processes and provides for public safety and the protection of public resources. The BLM Winnemucca District has developed a slightly different approach to the temporary closure for the 2018 event that will allow for even more of the Black Rock playa to be available for public use before and after the Burning Man event.
For this year’s event, the temporary closure and temporary restrictions will be implemented in a phased approach. A smaller area will be temporarily closed off to the public to support pre-event set up activities (phase 1) and then the full temporary closure area, which includes all of phase 1, would be implemented for the duration of the weeklong event (phase 2). Phase 1 of the temporary closure will take effect on July 29, 2018 and will shift into phase 2 on August 20, 2018. Following the Burning Man event, from September 8 – October 1, 2018, the temporary closure area will shrink back down to phase 1 to facilitate event cleanup and greater public access to the Black Rock playa
The Burning Man is a BLM authorized Special Recreation Permit held from August 25 through September 3 of 2018, on BLM-managed public lands in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. The temporary closure affects a total of 14,288 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.
“While past temporary closures have been implemented with little disruption to non-event activities on the playa, we are excited about the new phased approach because it provides for even greater public access for those wishing to enjoy this incredible area who are not attending the Burning Man Event,” said Mark E. Hall, the BLM Black Rock Field Manager.
Temporary restrictions are in effect to underscore that certain activities remain prohibited during the SRP. Prohibited activities include disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, underage use of alcohol, possession of weapons, fires, and discharge of waste water within the temporary 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 temporary restrictions can be viewed at https://go.usa.gov/xU4fB.
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.