Following the release of Burning Man‘s final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), organizers have great news — Black Rock City 2019 is most definitely happening, though any expansion is not.
Burning Man says it’s going to take time to fully understand what impacts the changes put forth by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will have on the annual event. However, the important thing is, Burning Man will move forward as usual, with its “amazing projects, art installations, mutant vehicles and theme camps.”
That being said, here are some things Burning Man wants to address for 2019. 
Capacity
Burning Man’s 2019 event will be capped at a total of 80,000 attendees, nearly the same as last year. Organizers have interest in growing the event up to 100,000 people, but not before understanding the potential impacts of such growth. The EIS offers data on how Burning Man’s activities will affect the environment and surrounding communities — and what changes need to be made.
Dumpsters
Burning Man has the opportunity to avoid having dumpsters on the playa. However, their latest journal article says, “we must all dramatically change the way we manage our waste stream. While our actions in removing detritus from the playa surface are superb, we’re simply not doing a good enough job disposing of our trash after we leave Black Rock City.” No leaving trash at public rest stops or businesses — or anywhere on the drive home.
Physical Barriers
“This mitigation will likely not be required for 2019, and we have the opportunity to avoid it in the future. Securing the boundary of Black Rock City has always been a priority to Burning Man — while Radical Inclusion is one of our core principles, trespassing in Black Rock City without a ticket will not be tolerated. We will continue to maintain a secure perimeter, including working closely with law enforcement to enforce that perimeter. If we do so, there will be no need for impenetrable physical barriers around Black Rock City.”
Vehicle Screening
Screening by BLM has been one of Burning Man’s gravest concerns, after 30 years of running its own operations. However, this initiative will not move forward in 2019 and there may be a chance to prevent it from ever happening. “We’ve submitted our serious concerns to the BLM about the significant constitutional, civil rights, environmental, cultural and operational impacts of this proposal.” This is one requirement Burning Man is prepared to push back on, especially following last year’s “aggressive” traffic stops.
With this, Burning Man reminds its future attendees that many of the mitigations and monitoring that seem to be new requirements are actually brief descriptions of existing operations. Read all of the BLM requirements that may affect your Burn here.
By working together, the culture, community and environment in Black Rock City should continue to thrive.
Source: Burning Man Journal
