How is Burning Man affecting the Black Rock Desert?
By Jenny Kane, Reno Gazette-Journal
The Black Rock Desert is due for an environmental checkup — one that specifically determines whether Burning Man is having an impact on the land — though it may be a while before the desert gets a diagnosis.
The most recent environmental assessment that addressed Burning Man’s impact, conducted in 2011, set the parameters for how the event should be conducted for the past five years. The 343-page document, however, expired last year. It could be another two or more years before Burning Man and the Bureau of Land Management are able to complete another assessment.
The BLM, which oversees the Black Rock Desert and issues an annual multi-million dollar recreational permit for Burning Man, has been conducting assessments since 1991, Burning Man’s second year in the desert. At the time, less than 300 people took part.
