BLM Issues Temporary Closure As Organizers Prepare for Burning Man
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca District Office announced in the Federal Register on Friday, July 1, 2016 a temporary closure and temporary restrictions on certain activities on public lands immediately surrounding the physical site of the 2016 Burning Man event. The temporary closure and temporary restrictions provide for public safety and protect public resources, and will be in effect from Aug. 1 through Sept. 21. Burning Man is a festival held from Aug. 28 through Sept. 5 on BLM public lands in Nevada's Black Rock Desert where nearly 70,000 people are expected to congregate and build a temporary city to celebrate art and self-expression. 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. 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. Similar temporary closures have been in effect in past years for the Burning Man event and have been implemented with minimal disruption to other public uses and access points within the area. Temporary restrictions are in effect to underscore that certain activities remain prohibited during the festival. Prohibited activities include disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, under age 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 temporary 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 can be viewed at http://1.usa.gov/29hx3fC.
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.