BLM - Burning Man 5 Year Permit -- Comment Period

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The BLM is currently taking comments on the preliminary environmental assessment for BM's 2006-2010 permit application. The EA is posted at:

http://www.nv.blm.gov/Winnemucca/NEPA/b ... ingman.htm

They are looking at a "proposed action" as well as two alternative actions and a "no permit" option:

1. The Proposed Action in which a five year permit
would be issued for the event with a maximum
population size of 40,000 participants and the
location of the event would alternate yearly between
two locations

2. An alternative that is essentially the same as the
proposed action except that the location of the event
would continue to be held at the location used for the
2000-2005 events.

3. An alternative in which a five year permit would be
issued, the maximum population would be 50,000
participants and the event location would be
alternated yearly in as many as three locations.

4. The No Action/No Event Alternative.

Overall, semi-interesting reading. Included is the appendix that gives all the permit stipulations. Some particularly interesting excerpts:

"Issues not Considered in this Assessment:

Several comments raised the issue of the event’s morality. Morality is not an environmental issue and is "in the eye of the beholder." Everyone within the event is a participant or is involved in administration or support operations, has chosen to be at the event, and paid for a ticket. The event site is closed to non-participants who might be offended by activities within the event. "

"Residual debris associated with the Burning Man event has been increasing. Figure 2 shows the trend for fall measurements of residual debris compared to playa background levels for the residential portion of BRC. Regression analysis indicates that if present trends continue the standard could be exceeded in the future."

"In 2005, approximately $300,000 was spent by BLM in northern Nevada to support administration of the event."

"Local Attitudes... Individuals that perceive activities that occur at the event to be in strong conflict with their personal values are uniformly opposed to the event. "

The last comment is my favorite. Cross-posted on tribe.net:
http://bm.tribe.net/thread/2b5f109e-f2d ... 185be51c6b

[geekster]

Personally I would go with the 50K top over more locations because I would think that one reason for the increasing background moop is because it is in the same place every year. This year when we went to set up our playa installation we had to moop the are before we even started. There were nails and screws and nuts and bolts, sometimes piles of nails like someone kicked a box of them over and they sat and rusted there over the winter. We left that space a lot cleaner than we found it.

I like the 5 year permit idea.

[hunter S]

Right on geekster!! Rotation of the event makes sense (kinda like rotating crops) 50k head count is too restrictive IMOP but I can live with that! question is what do we need to do to support the BORG?

[Rockdad]

I agree with moving it in fact we should have to search for it..be kind of an adventure where did they put it this year?

Moving it makes sense and less environmental damage I understand there really is life in that Playa dust...