It’s a late-summer happening on the Nevada desert that draws thousands of art-minded counter-culturists. The Burning Man Festival on Northwest Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is a huge drawing card, pumping up the local economy—and RV rental agency revenues. But with thousands of federal employees, including an untold number from the Bureau of Land Management, cut off the federal workforce, could there be a Burning Man crisis?
BLM law enforcement needs could spark Burning Man crisis
Regional news writers are already raising the question. Burning Man will rock the desert from August 24 through September 1. The festival sets up on federal land, which the BLM manages. Festival organizers need permits from the agency and rely on about 100 BLM law enforcement officers to monitor the event.
However, Reuters reports that the purge of federal workers has cut at least 800 BLM employees. BLM patrol officers aren’t the only ones Burning Man depends on; dozens of others are involved in the permitting and inspection process. Will the agency manage to handle the Burning Man show this year?
It’s a question raised by Nevada media outlet, the Reno Gazette Journal. Burning Man Festival organizers responded to the news outlet’s questions this way. “We have worked closely with the BLM through many different administrations and hope that BLM’s Burning Man team won’t be negatively impacted by budget cuts, layoffs or changes in policy,”
In a similar vein, the BLM itself didn’t have much to contribute to the question, telling the Gazette, “While we do not have a comment on personnel at this time, no decision has been made to changes for operations and planning of Burning Man.” That statement came from BLM Public Affairs Specialist Heather O’Hanlon.
First Trump administration: Build a wall around Burning Man
During the Trump administration’s first White House occupancy, things got a bit dicey for festival organizers. In 2019, prior to that year’s festival, the BLM proposed major changes. The agency suggested that the festival would need to hire private security, rather than using BLM rangers.
Additionally, it wanted a barrier built around the festival area. That would have translated to a wall of concrete Jersey barriers making up a 10-mile perimeter. For readers who are into fantastic facts, the wall would have weighed in at a remarkable 19,000,000 lbs.
With just months before the 2019 festival, organizers had a fit. News website mashable.com wrote: “The 372-page BLM proposal, if implemented, ‘would forever negatively change the fabric of the Burning Man event, if not outright kill it,’ the Burning Man Project wrote in response last week. It estimated BLM’s requirements would cost a total of $20 million every year, raising the price of tickets — which average around $400 — by $286 apiece.”
No wall yet, but law enforcement still an issue
So far, the BLM hasn’t shown any plans to roll out the Great Wall of Burning Man this year. However, if BLM employee cutbacks impact the agency’s ability to provide patrol officers, the festival might have to hire private security. The chance of hiring other local law enforcement officers looks slim. The festival takes place in Nevada’s Pershing County.
Pershing County’s sheriff, Jerry Allen, told the Reno Gazette that his agency doesn’t have a contract to provide patrols for Burning Man. He explained that major philosophical differences exist between Burning Man organizers and his views on how law enforcement should operate at the festival. Then there’s the issue of money—Burning Man planners appear unwilling to pay the fees Allen would request.
With just over five months before the event is set to begin on the Black Rock Desert, a Burning Man crisis remains a real possibility. Burning Man has some burning questions to answer.
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Let Burning Man pay for its own security.
👍👍
They do. BLM charges several million dollars for the event permit. That fee pays salaries, overtime and billeting for Federal and local LEOs. On the other hand, anyone is free to camp on BLM land at no charge. Millions of people do every year. Sadly, many of those millions leave trash and debris that ruin it for the rest of us. The issuance of the annual event permit is subject to the previous year’s event passing a BLM inspection about 40-50 days after the event ends. Is there a substantial amount of trash left along the highways leading away from the event? Sadly, yes. That said, volunteer crews clean up every scrap of such trash. Anything after the 40-day cleanup is trash left by others.
More like burning disease
I don’t see the big deal. Let those folks do what they want. Maybe cleanse the gene pool a bit. Just don’t make a big announcement that you’re short handed. No one will even notice.
Noooooo, not a Burning Man cut. What will we ever do? We’re going to need a new chant for sure.
Thank you for the information, Russ and Tina! That must be quite an event to carry a $400/person ticket price!?! I will do my best to prevent an elevation of the price by staying far, far away. 🙂 Have a great week and safe travels!
The “festival” should hire private security, rather than using BLM rangers, and all services used (medical, trash pick up, environmental clean up from human waste, etc).
Let the festival organizers pay for their own damned security. We taxpayers should not have to subsidize this freak show. We are already being screwed royally by other ridiculous programs. This waste and fraud has to end. Thank you DOGE!
The Burning Man organization pays the BLM several million dollars for the annual permit to hold the event on public land. Taxpayers don’t subsidize a single penny of the event. In addition the organization pays a substantial amount of overtime for both Federal and local LEOs. A 9% entertainment tax is charged on every ticket sold that goes to the state of Nevada…that also amounts to several million bucks. The organization is a 503(c) nonprofit and annual tax filings are public records available for those who would like to do a little research. The BLM and local governments recognize BM as a massive cash cow. Closing down the event would mean the loss of millions of dollars of revenue.
I’m not sure Burning Man ‘requests’ security. It’s the BLM wanting in.
Don’t care, let them consume themselves. Burning man is nothing but debauchery and hedonism.
All these articles on “what if” speculation share a common theme that implies government agencies to be exceptional stewards of taxpayer dollars and any reduction will be disastrous.
What if the money saved actually puts more rangers on the ground, slows or stops the incessant increases to camping fees?
What if those wasted dollars instead go toward a better experience at National Parks? Imagine if instead of “Condoms for Kenyans”, you get to camp for $10 less and the dump fee waived…..
THE HORRIBLE TRUTH of BURNING MAN; While “Burners” may leave the Playa grounds in good condition, they create an ecological disaster for surrounding communities by dumping literally tons of trash and hazardous chemicals in these towns every year when they leave. The little town of Fernley, NV, provides numerous roll-off dumpsters every year and they are never enough to keep up with the toxic trash left there by irresponsable Burners. I have pictures of this, but there is no facility to post them here.
Please stop with the fear headlines, you are starting to sound like the main stream media!
Hi, Rick. In this instance the writer was just (obviously) sticking with the “burning” theme.🔥 Have a great day. 😀 -Diane at RVtravel.com