In September 2025, two filmmakers, Robert Forney and his daughter, Emma Forney, who run the Explore With Us channel, sued Burning Man and several public agencies.
The duo says they were blocked from filming the post-event cleanup and were later issued a trespass warning.
What happened?
The Forneys posted a video titled “What Burning Man Doesn’t Want You to See.” In the video, the duo documents trash and debris they found after the event. Dad and daughter say the footage contradicts the festival’s “leave no trace” reputation. They further charge that organizers and allied officers prevented them from filming cleanup operations the following week.
The Forneys’ complaint also challenges how the event’s use of public land was handled. Burning Man runs on a non-exclusive permit that temporarily closes parts of the Black Rock Desert for the annual event. The plaintiffs allege the permit window was effectively extended without public notice and that the extension was used to restrict access.
They further claim the Bureau of Land Management issued the trespass warning at the direction of Burning Man organizers and volunteers known as the Black Rock Rangers.
Burning Man responded
Organizers have publicly called the lawsuit frivolous and said the claims lack legal merit. The dispute highlights a broader tension. When a private event operates on public land under a permit, who controls access, recording, and enforcement: the public agency or the event’s organizers?
A bigger conversation
Beyond the immediate facts of this lawsuit, the case raises questions about transparency and oversight when private groups manage large events on public land. For RVers who rely on public-access spaces for recreation, the outcome could set precedents about who gets to control images, information, and movement on federally managed lands.
If you’re an RVer, stay informed about BLM permit windows and respect posted closures. Also, if you’re filming, prepare to be transparent about your intentions and to document encounters.
Whether you’re concerned about environmental stewardship or just want to avoid a trip ruined by a legal kerfuffle, knowing the rules and keeping a cool head will get you farther than confrontation.
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RVT1228b
We have never attended Burning Man and have no intention of doing so, especially after reading your expose. I gather it is for younger people, and we are not in that category.
Thank you, Gail! I hope more comes of this later, given my present confusion. Burning Man was never an interest and this makes it less so. Have a great day and safe travels!
I’m 82 and have been to Burningman 20 times. Like lots of events, it’s not for everyone, but anyone is invited to attend subject to having a ticket and the means to survive a week in a very inhospitable environment. Anyone can film at the event subject to privacy restrictions. Anyone can film outside the event along the roads and highways. The event site post-event is closed. Only cleanup crews are permitted on the site post-event. The entire event site is thoroughly cleaned up including the roads and highways for miles and miles to the north and south. Renewal of the event permit from the BLM is subject to a BLM inspection about 40 days after the event officially ends.
Great comment, Gary.
Happy trails 😎 ✌️
The town of Fernley, Nevada is along the southern exit route for Burning Man. Every year, “Burners” discard literally TONS of trash, furniture, cars, etc. in this little town. The environmental impact of “BM” is much larger than the Playa.
Curious about the clean up? Drive out there today and look over the playa.
Filming while they’re cleaning is as ridiculous as demanding to see an operating room getting cleaned to “justify” why surgery is bad for humanity.
Burning Man is not for me but fabricating controversy for clicks is just as bad if not worse than anything they’re trying to accuse.
I can’t believe the BM people do not understand Nevada law. Those police deserve the patience award.
By the way, who called the police?
Just wanted to chime in as I have 18 years of launching rockets out on the playa, one of our launches is a couple weeks after the burn. We camp approx 17 miles North of their site up near the river Quinn. The wind on the playa at times can be very intense, reaching 40++ mph. BM 3′ tall trash fence does not contain all the garbage during high winds and the prevailing winds blow all that up into the Quinn dunes. BM does do a clean up I guess as much as possible over the vast Black Rock playa, but every year I haul out fresh trash from them. I cap myself at two big leaf garbage bags worth, space in truck limited.
My issue is with the attendees of BM not containing their own campsites.