Bureau of Land Management threatens the future of Burning Man
Beloved desert festival, Burning Man faces yet another obstacle, this time in the form of an environmental impact statement from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Earlier in the year, Burning Man confronted its growing influencer culture with ticketing changes. However, the most recent issue proves a lot more challenging than just cutting down on Instagram-ers and could hold serious negative implications for the future of Burning Man.
In an announcement released on March 20, Burning Man stated after reviewing BLM’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Burning Man, the proposals were “in direct conflict with [their] community’s core principles” and would potentially “outright kill” the event. The 372-page draft comes in response to Burning Man Project’s request for a 10-year permit for Black Rock City — home to Burning Man for the last 29 years.
The biggest concerns Burning Man cites include several mitigations recommended by the BLM that would result in, “federal government replacing, overseeing, or managing areas of Black Rock City’s operations that have been successfully built and managed for decades with expert, dedicated staff and thousands of volunteers.” The cost estimates for implementing BLM’s proposed “mitigations” and “monitoring” come out to $20 million per year and would increase ticket prices by $286 per person.
Burning Man asks the public to submit feedback while the draft is still under consideration. The deadline for public comments is April 29 and more details can be found here.
H/T: Burning Man Journal
Categories: News