There is no such thing as a renegade bureaucracy. And the data pirates fighting to make everything free and public never sleep.
An enterprising renegade filed a FOIA and got the BLM after action report on the 2021 renegade.
They posted it to the soul-stealing faceboo.
Download it at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3685188 ... 8865389098
It's interesting reading, but not really that interesting!
Summary
The 2021 Non-Event saw an estimated 17,000 visitors from August 23 thru September 7, 2021 recreating on the Black Rock playa. Other visitation numbers have been estimated to be over 20,000. As stated above, issues with internet and download/upload speeds caused collection issues for providing a more accurate number. The primary activity of these visitors was camping and socializing with friends and others that have attended or wanted to gain a similar experience to that of a Burning Man Event.
... issues monitors and law enforcement encountered during the 2021 Non-Event. Trash, Human Waste and Leaks and Spills were the top issues.
Human Waste was a large issue and concern for staff monitoring the event in the NCA. Though it was listed as “prohibited” in the Temporary Restrictions, human waste was documented 137 times. Compared to a regular Burning Man Event, where a large infrastructure is established, this Non-Event did not allow for it, and the result to the NCA, though temporary, was not acceptable. Urine and feces were noted at a majority of camps and law enforcement was not able to adequately enforce the restriction due to the difficulty in identifying a responsible person.
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) sent a complaint letter on the burn scars and human waste left behind from the Non-Event. A copy of the complaint is attached to this After-Action Review.
Items being abandoned or unattended on playa was difficult to manage due to timing, weather, and other users intentionally or unintentionally removing other camps items. One camp, House of Love (see Figure 7), left trailers, tents, and a large pile of trash. This was ultimately picked up by good Samaritans and hired contracted help, but prior to being remedied was a beacon for others to leave trash and human waste.
Another incident was a Polar Bear Art Car. The Art Car was left in one area overnight due to mechanical issues. By the time the owner returned to tow the vehicle back to their camp, the art car had been picked up by other visitors as they thought the item had been abandoned due to its broken wheels. The vehicle had been returned to the owner by “good will, and good luck”, once the monitors had come across the visitors who picked up the art car.
Other camps and their items such as generators, bikes, tents, were not as lucky to have their items returned.
Law Enforcement and Monitors came across camps that had hired drivers, rented trailers and generators to assist with the creations and/or clean-ups of their camps. These activities were not authorized by the BRFO and were prohibited under the Temporary Restrictions. Commercial use is defined as:
“means recreation use of the public lands and related waters for business or financial gain. The activity, service, or use is commercial if any of these conditions is present: (1) Any person, group, or organization makes or attempts to make a profit, receives money, amortizes equipment, or obtains goods or services as compensation from participants in recreation activities occurring on public lands and led, sponsored by, or organized by that person, group, or organization. Compensation for recreation services may come from participants and/or other sources. (2) Anyone collects a fee or receives other compensation that is not strictly a sharing of actual expenses, or exceeds actual expenses, incurred for the purposes of the activity, service, or use. ( (3) There is paid, public advertising to seek participants. (4) Participants pay for a duty of care, i.e., an expectation of safety. As noted, paid public advertising qualifies a use as commercial. Paid public advertising includes, for example, newspaper ads, Internet banners, and radio and television air time (43 CFR 2932.5(1) (iii)).”
The night of the traditional Burning Man Temple Burn (Sunday September 5, 2021), camps did build a Temple structure and burned it, despite the Temporary Restrictions. BLM LE and PCSO were on site and were not able to safely prevent the burning of the structure due to limited staff. When LE approached participants of the unlawful burn, they were met with verbal resistance, and the threat of continued non-compliance. Due to the overwhelming number of participants, BLM LE disengaged from the situation to avoid further confrontation. General enforcement suffered due to available number of BLM LE Rangers. During the Burning Man SRP, there is a national detail mandate requiring attendance by BLM LE from across the country. In the absence of the Burning Man Project SRP, Law Enforcement relied on detailed Rangers who had volunteered to attend. It also required the entirety of the NV Zone 1 Law Enforcement program.
Summary law enforcement statistics are in Table One. A more detailed breakdown is in Appendix B.
Action
Number
Warnings
276
Citations
47
Compliance
47
Public Assists
907
Medical Assists
31
PCSO Assists
25
PCSO Arrests
4
Medical statistics are in Table Two (below). This information was provided by Guardian Elite Medical Services.
Medical Issue
Patients
Release against medical advice
18
First aid
49
Ambulance transport
12
Air ambulance transport
2
Transport to on-site clinic
4
Treated and released on scene
7
