2007 burning man stipulation monitoring report

8/6/2019 2007 Burning Man Stipulation Monitoring Report

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2007 Burning ManStipulation Monitoring Report

Perspective art piece by Trey Watki

When sitting on a couch from this vantage point, the blocks line up to form a message. The "A" block was onlyfew inches tall while an "E" block in the distance was 10 feet tall. Each day the blocks were rotated to form a ne

message.

Bureau of Land ManagementWinnemucca Field Office

5100 East Winnemucca Blvd.


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Table of Contents

Introduction .. 3

Report Summary ..... 4

1 Population Study.......... 5Stip 1 Manage event growth

2 Trash Transects Study..... 8Stip 77 Compliance inspections

3 Oil Drip Study .......10Stip 21 Playa surface protection

4 Survey of Art on the Open Playa....12

Stips 18 & 19 Authorized fires, pits & holes

5 Monitoring The Good, Bad & Ugly..23Stip 27 & 52 - Unauthorized firesStip 31 & 32 - Solid waste managementStip 55 & 56 - Public health & safetyStip 60 - Greywater

6 Hot Springs .......34Stip 23 Cultural resources

7 Airport .....37Stips 47, 49 thru 51 Airport

8 Perimeter Fence Surveys..39Stip 32 Perimeter fence

9 PPPP (Porta-Potty Placement Plan).......43Stip 59 Sanitation

10 Other Stipulations.....45Stip 7, 14, 34 & 35 - Postings & Signage

Stip 30 - Fugitive dustStip 33 - Solid waste managementStip 41 - Traffic managementStip 72 - Emergency procedures

Monitoring Team... 46


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INTRODUCTION

The Burning Man event was first held on the Black Rock Desert in 1990 and

has continued since annually. The combination art festival, social event, and an

experiment in community living starts the Monday before Labor Day and runsfor 8 days. Since 1990, the event participation has increased from a few

hundred participants to over 48,000 participants in 2007. Burning Man is the

largest permitted event on public lands.

In November 2005, the BLM Winnemucca Field Office received a Special

Recreation Permit application for the Burning Man 2006 - 2010 events. Upon

receipt of such an application, the BLM is mandated to engage in an

environmental assessment (EA) process designed to analyze the potential

impacts of the proposed event. As part of that process, an external scoping

period is conducted to solicit issues of concern from the public and cooperating

agencies. Some of those identified issues include -

Event management How will the attendance be counted and event growth managed? How will impacts be monitored during and after the event?

Playa surface protection How much litter remains after the event? To what contaminants is the playa exposed? What impacts occur to the playa surface as a result of surface

disturbance associated with the event?

Public health How is sewage handled? What is the fate of wastewater from campsites within the city?

The results of the EA process are reflected in the 79 stipulations attached to the

2007 permit. These are designed to provide for visitor safety and protection ofresources on the public land.


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REPORT SUMMARY

This report documents the results and recommendations of the Stipulation

Monitoring Team efforts at Burning Man 2007.

Study 2007 Results Recommended for 2008

1 Population With over 48,000 participants,rapidly approaching 50,000participant cap

Yes, with GIS analysis ofpopulation growth

2 TrashTransects

Baseline photos aidedin post-event inspections

Yes

3 Oil Drip No significant impact No, since previous yearsalso showed no impact

4 Art on theOpenPlaya

Burn pads effectively preventedscars but decomposed gravel itselfneeds to be contained to leave notrace at art projects and communityburn barrels

Yes

5 MonitoringTheGood, Bad& Ugly

Provided real-time monitoring andrecord of monitoring team efforts forfiles

Yes

6 HotSprings

No significant impact Minimal monitoring needed in 08due to with limited spring accessand Increased participantcooperation

7 AirportFacilities

Airport facilities and boundaries stillunclear and portions remain outsidepublic closure areas

Increase coordination efforts withinBLM and with BMan prior to eventto eliminate potential safety issues

8 PerimeterFence

Trash on fence managed effectivelybut resulting dunes pose safetyhazard on playa post-event andshould be part of event cumulativeimpact

Yes

9 Porta PottyPlacement

Need to balance needs ofparticipants with those of servicingcrews

Yes, with GIS analysis to optimizeplacement of toilets


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1. Population Study

BLM Stipulation 1 states:

1. Black Rock City LLC (BRC) is required to manage its advance ticket sales in a manner to keep the maximum

population of the event from increasing more than 6% above the 2006 peak population of 39,100. If during the

event, it appears that on-site ticket sales are likely to result in a peak population that exceeds the 6% increase,

BRC will promptly notify BLM of the projected event population and provide detailed contingency plans to

handle the additional participants. As of Friday, July 27, 2007 ticket sales and historical trends indicate that

the population of Black Rock City might be more than 6% of last years peak, triggering a need to implement

more infrastructural resources. The prediction is for a peak population on Friday or Saturday of the event to be

between 43,800 and 46,500 participants. This document outlines the contingency plan to address the increased

population per the requirements of the stipulations.

GoalCensus data is key. Stipulation 1 prescribes a Population Contingency Plan toensure the event does not grow beyond the limits of being manageable.Reasons to closely monitor population and its growth during the event include -

1. The population cap of 50,000 participants was stipulated in the Burning ManEA has been nearly reached this year and last. Limiting ticket sales at the gatemay be one way to assure this stipulation is met in 2008.

2. Event attendance has increased every year. This year in anticipation of agreater population than 2006, BMan added 3 streets to accommodate growth.During the event, it was necessary to add even one more street namedMoop.

3. In the past there have been concerns from BLM about the large number ofindividuals on the playa before the event gates officially open. BMan staff,

members of the larger registered art projects, volunteers and other volunteers,are allowed in the event before Monday, August 27th. Participants are notallowed in the event before then. It is important to monitor the pre-eventpopulation to decide if the event should be expanded to a day earlier for a totalof 9 days rather than current 8.

4. Large number of participants who do arrive before Monday present a safetyand management issues since there is little room to accommodate them withinthe towns of Gerlach and Empire or along Hwy 447. While arriving early washighly discouraged on the Bman website, a designate parking area near theevent entrance was created to house those awaiting the event start.

MethodologyFor each block, the Team counted the number of vehicles in which participantscould have transported to the event (art cars, golf carts etc did not count).Counts begin daily at approximately 1:00 pm - later during the dust storms, andtook about 2 hours to complete. As the number of vehicles grew,representative blocks were counted and the population calculated accordingly.


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Three years ago, studies showed that there was an average of 1.9 people pervehicle. The daily BRC population was calculated by multiplying 1.9 by the dailyvehicle block counts. This years observations at the Greeter Station during

event Influx and Exodus indicated that the average number of people pervehicle was perhaps as high as 2.4 people per vehicle. When this number isfinalized, this value can be adjusted on the spreadsheets and final populationnumbers recalculated accordingly.

Vehicles were not counted at the airport or on the open playa but BMan -reported daily numbers for volunteers and airport numbers could be added tothe BLM calculated population.

A map portraying a typical days counts.


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Results

* There were no BMan reported numbers for first Sunday or Monday.

Population peaked Friday at 47,986 participants. Despite different censusmethods (BMan reports are based on noon ticket counts at the Gate) - BLMsand BMans daily reported populations were close. The largest percent

difference was when vehicle counts were the most challenging duringThursdays dust storm.

RecommendationsNext year, the population may well peak over 50,000 and careful planning tomanage this growth will continue to be essential. Continue block counts as thenumbers have been consistently close those reached by BMans ticket-basedcount except at a few critical days.

Block counts also give BLM the ability to locate participants within the city.

BLMs block counts can be used to analyze density based on: 1) Block countper block acreage and 2) Block population per total city population. Distributionand density analysis can facilitate better planning for further growth. Analysiscould be particularly useful for the PPP study placement of Porta Potties.


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2. Trash Transect PointsBLM Stipulation 77 states:

77. Inspections of the event site in the fall after the event, will be coordinated by BLM using randomly placed

transects on the site and a measurable cleaning standard. The inspecting party will intensively collect debris

found on the ground within each transect. A follow-up spring inspection will be conducted only when

deemed necessary by BLM. Post-Event Cleanup Standard: The average total surface area of debris collected

from either the fall or spring transects will not exceed the equivalent of 1 square foot per acre from anyinspection area.

GoalPhoto-document potential trash transect locations to record for these areasduring the event. This will facilitate post-event compliance inspections asoutlined in Stipulations 75-79.

MethodologyHawths tools in ArcGIS was used to generate random points through 4 zones inBlack Rock City (Art, Residential, Walk-in Camping and Other). The Team

navigated to the approximate location on the map and shot one photo facingTrego and a second in the opposite direction. The location of these photo pointswas recorded at the click of the shutter with the GPS-enabled Ricoh camera. It isthese locations that will be used for later inspections.


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Results98 photos were captured at 49 transect locations. For each zone, the number ofphotos and transect locations were as indicated:

Art 21 photos at 10 transect locationsOther - 22 photos at 11 transect locations

Residential - 37 photos at 19 transect locationsWalk-in Camping - 18 photos at 9 transect locations

See TransectID_Photos.xls to view Transect ID on map and corresponding photofilenames. Below are AIMG0024_tag.jpg & 25_tag.jpg for Transect 66 located inthe Residential Area.

RecommendationsWhile there was more trash in 2007 than in 2006, the amount of trash was well

below the allowed debris to pass compliance inspections. See report in BLMfiles for results of final inspection.


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3. Oil Drip SurveyBLM Stipulation 21 states:

21. BRC will make educational materials available to participants prior to the event that explain the need to

inspect vehicles and repair or modify those with drips of oil or other fluids. BRC will also train staff involved

with greeting participants to identify vehicles likely to have an increased risk of oil or fluid drips, inspect

suspect vehicles and take appropriate actions to minimize contamination from leaking vehicles. Black Rock

LLC will advise the use of materials, such as cardboard, hazmat pads, or drip pans to minimize impacts.

GoalDetermine if a significant amount of hazardous materials are leaking fromvehicles and contaminating the playa. In previous years, this was a concern fromthe public and therefore addressed in Stipulation 21. When studied in 2006, nosignificant impacts were observed from vehicle leaks.

Methodologyin ArcGIS, Hawths tools was used to generate 65 random points throughout theResidential Zone. The Team navigated to these points, looked for the closest

vehicle and recorded observations as below. One pair of volunteers used aTrimble GPS to navigate to these locations to update the location and recordtheir observations electronically. Other groups simply navigated to theapproximate location on the map, captured the actual location surveyed by GPSand recorded their observations on paper.

Results


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Results (continued)96 vehicles were surveyed with only 5 leaks detected. This is not surprising giventhat only a minority of the vehicles were older. One of the larger leaks was from agenerator. One of the intermediate-size leaks was actually 8 small spots. In allcases, the leaks were not contained but the participants agreed to do so to

prevent any impact on additional impacts on the playa.

RecommendationsAs in previous years, no significant impact was observed from vehicle leaks.


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4. Art ProjectsBLM Stipulation 18 states:

Authorized Fires

18. Organizers of each Art Burn and BRC are responsible for implementing procedures for the complete cleanup

of each burn site consistent with stipulation #76, including, but not limited to:

a. Removal of ash.

b. Removal of unburned material such as nails, screws, and glass.c. Grading and raking to eliminate burn scars.


Pits and Holes

19. BRC will limit excavation of pits and holes to those absolutely necessary for administration of the event. This

includes holes and pits excavated by participants. All pits and holes will be backfilled, wetted and compacted by

physical tamping to minimize post-event pit depressions.

GoalPhoto document art projects on the open playa. In particular, record any projectsrequiring ongoing monitoring for potential burn scars, deep pits and other long-

term effects on the playa surface in accordance with the Playa SurfaceProtection Stipulations 18 and 19.

MethodologyEach of 4 teams were assigned a quarter of the open playa and armed with aGPS-enabled camera with which art installations were photo-documented.Projects with potential for long-term impacts were earmarked for ongoinginspection.

3 major art projects The Man, the Temple and the Oil Derrick (CrudeAwakening) were recorded in greater detail using digital photos and Trimble GPS

units before, during and after the event.


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Results

A. Art on the Open PlayaOverall, there were few projects of major concern out on the open playa.

Clean-up efforts during the eventfor a project at 9:00 and theEsplanade.


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B. The ManFrom the Burning Man website

The Burning Man will stand atop a structure that resembles green mountain peak. Nestled at its base will be the Green

Man Pavilion, 30,000 square feet of shaded exhibition space for the display of interactive artistic, scientific and

educational models, a Worlds Fair of emerging technologies.

Pre-Event The Man consisted on support made of large tree stumps and then covered

by a tent intended to represent a green (obviously Non-Nevada) mountainrange

GPS showed footprint of burn pad to be about 2,400 square feet 93 photos taken before, during and after the event


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During the Event The Man was burned somewhat prematurely. He was slightly toasted but

after some rehab, he was ready for the event finale.

Photo - 9/5/2007


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During Event Clean-up

During June 2008 inspection Visible orange-brown mark on playa from remaining gravel in various

locations at Man site Debris at site included multiple, unburned pieces of bark as large as 4 x 2

inches A series of depressions were observed on the playa. Based on location,

pattern and size, these were presumed to be from supports. These 8 -12 feetdeep pits hit the water table when dug during event.


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C. Temple of Forgivenessfrom the Burning Man website:

Temple of Forgiveness

by David Best and Tim Dawson

This year's temple features four grand entrance halls that converge onto a central altar. Above the altar the open

tower projects to the sky, letting the energy flow dynamically through the structure. As you approach, you see the

central tower rising above the flanking entrance halls; at the top are long curving beams that reflect the arc of thesky. Clad with intricately cut and layered wood, the Temple is a vehicle for remembrances and blessings, promises

and forgiveness.

During Event The temple was a wooden structure with a decomposed gravel burn pad GPS showed the footprint of burn pad to be about 3,700 square feet 62 photos taken before, during and after the event


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During June 2008 inspection Visible orange-brown mark on playa from remaining gravel in various

locations at Temple site and some debris Debris at site included some of metal used to anchor structure


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During June 2008 inspection Multiple visible orange-brown marks on the playa from remaining gravel at

many locations throughout footprint of Derrick site Debris of all types of materials at site


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E. Revisit - 2006 Uchronia project siteAfter 2 year inspection, this project seems the greatest success given theprojects size and scale in wood, nails and its associated inferno. The use of aburn pad consisting of fiberglass insulation and wallboard left no trace on theplaya. Debris associated with the site was the same as any major art project or

heavy use site.

RecommendationsGiven the long-lasting orange-brown spots on the playa, suggest reconsideringthe use of decomposed gravel for major art burns and community burn barrels.Suggest either 1) adding some type of containment such as a blanket orimpermeable lining for the gravel, or 2) using insulation and wallboard as analternative to decomposed gravel given that the 2006 Uchronia project did notleave visible traces on the desert surface.


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5. Stipulation Monitoring aka. The Good, Bad & UglyBLM Stipulations 27 & 62 state:

CAMPING AND RECREATION USES27. Fires are prohibited except for authorized burn areas, authorized burn platforms, elevated fire receptacles,

elevated barbecues and tiki torches.

FIRES, PYROTECHNICS, AND FIREARMS

62. BRC/Burning Man shall abide by fire restriction orders, except for the following as officially approved by

BRC in coordination with BLM: official art burns, fireworks events, and open fires within the Burning Man

event area that are to be contained on supplied fire pans and fire barrels. Fires not contained by authorized

raised platforms, fire pans, barbeques, or barrels are prohibited. The fire pans and fire resistant platforms or

other protective materials designed to protect the playa surface can be used by event participants for

spontaneous burns in the same manner as the fire pans or fire barrels after the initial art project has been

burned.

BLM Stipulations 31& 32 state:

Solid Waste Management31. BRC is responsible for all trash removal and cleanup. Trash will be transported to an appropriate landfill

and deposited accordingly.

32. Permittee shall install a 360 event perimeter/boundary trash fence. Any accumulation of trash that appears

to be spilling over the fence or passing through a fence break will be collected. Fence breaks will be repaired

immediately upon discovery. Permittee shall construct the southwest and southeast flanks of the perimeter fence

prior to installation of other facilities to safely direct vehicular traffic around the site.

BLM Stipulations 55 & 56 state:

Public Health & Safety55. BRC will make the builders of any structures open to participants aware of applicable requirements for public

safety. BRC will inspect structures and any structures that they judge are not safe for participants will be

reconstructed to be made safe or closed.

56. BRC will make an effort to ensure that extension cords that cross main access roads or travel corridors

are armored or buried to prevent damage and possible electrocution.


Sanitation60e. Dumping wastewater (grey water or black water) on public lands directly from a vehicle, trailer, wash

basin, shower stalls, bath tubs, barrels, pools, or a wastewater containment receptacle is prohibited.

GoalSurvey the residential blocks for Good, Bad and Ugly incidents of the abovestipulations and monitor the above stipulations in realtime. In cases where forintervention was needed, maps and photos were passed onto the Black Rock orBLM Rangers.

MethodologyEach team was assigned 2 roads in the Residential Zone. They shot photos ofgood and bad examples and outright violations of stipulations including: personaland community burn barrels, shower and shade structure designs, evaporativecoolers, wind power generators, illegal swimming pools, other potential hazardsand anything else of particular interest. Two attributes could be entered via drop-down menus, captured on the shutter click and imported into GIS. Teams were to


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record 1) the stipulation being monitored and 2) if the photo was a good or badexample, or stipulation violation. Due to poor instructions, the attributes werentalways entered correctly The GIS Specialist made up for her faulty instructionsby correcting most errors post-field.

The map below shows how extensive the Teams coverage was throughout thecity and the wide range of stipulations monitored.


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Results & RecommendationsHundreds of photos were taken for real-time monitoring of the event as well asdocumentation afterwards.

In most cases, examples of the bad and small violations were easily broughtinto compliance through communication between the participants and theMonitoring Team. A few violations, were photo-documented, mapped and re-inspected. When intervention was needed, a BRC grid map marking the violationlocation and photos of the violation watermarked with date, time and locationwere sent to the daily 4:00 meeting. These materials were passed on to theBlack Rock Rangers for intervention as needed. Only in the cases of the largewater slide and a pornography screen (both BMan-originated rules), wasintervention required at the level of BLM Law Enforcement.

All maps and photos that are contained in the Remonitored_During_Event folder

were resolved during the event.

CAMPING AND RECREATIONAL USESStips 27 & 62 Unauthorized FireIn the past event, DPW placed intricately designed oil drums with piles of wood toserve as communal gathering sites for heat and company. There were less ofthese this year. Instead more fire barrels appeared within individual camps. Theteam photo-documented the variety of burn barrels designs and ensured thebarrels were elevated above the playa surface. Piles of wood or other objectsindicating a potential conflagration that could scar the playa or burn down BRCwere marked. Fortunately, none appeared to pose a threat to participants or theplaya surface.

During the June 2008 inspection, the site of the burn barrel in below, right photowas re-inspected. While bits of debris were found in the camp, no lasting scardetected from the barrel was seen.


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The community_burn_barrels folder contains a photos of the barrels to show howthey are elevated off the playa, the amount of use they received during the eventand the decomposed granite used to protect the playa. During the June 2008inspection, the burn barrel pictured below was navigated to by GPS. Within a fewhundred yards, the telling large, orange spot left from the gravel made it easy to

identify the exact location. Given the long-lasting orange-brown spots on theplaya, it is recommended the use of decomposed gravel for major art burns andcommunity burn barrels be discontinued.


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SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENTStip 31 & 32 Solid Waste Management

Most violations were seen during Exodus as trash of all types was left on theplaya and in participants camps. The trash_violations folder contains manypictures of trash left on the playa.

On the brighter side, a few photos were shot of entire camps scouring their areafor debris. AS seen below, a few camps cordoned off large areas for the weekssum of trash.


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PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETYStips 55 & 56

The BMan web site explicitly prohibits pools. Three pools were shut down withlittle incident. Only in the case was any real resistance met. The Black RockRangers were rudely told that the slide had been there 4 years already and thatthey lacked authority to do anything about it. When the camp demanded to hearfrom BLM directly, they got exactly that. Mark Pirtle, the Special Agent in Charge,called on their camp and the well-hidden slide was then shut down. There arephotos of the same slide from the 2006 Monitoring Teams efforts.


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This photo was taken near the Trego crossing. This track is easy to see far fromthe playa edge and appears to be a crossing. This is NOT a crossing. During thisyears event, at least 2 cars became high-centered on the railroad tracks. Onecar was hit by the train despite attempts by law enforcement to alert the railroad,the other car was removed before the train arrived. Many web sites, including

those of the BLM and the majority of Black Rock Desert user groups - warn aboutthe dangers of crossing the tracks. Yet, people still try to drive directly across thetracks rather than at an established crossing. Besides educating the public, it ishard to suggest other methods to prevent stupidity.

During the June 2008 inspection, it was noticed that UPRR placed bright andshiny new stop signs at this and all other crossing on the railroad crossing signsfrom the Black Rock to Winnemucca.

It is unclear how thismuch water got on theroad but it definitely is

a safety hazard.


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Miscellaneous Observations

This theatrewas located

on theEsplanade.The regularpornographyshowsviolatedBurningManspornographyrules. BLMLaw

Enforcementensured thescreen washidden fromthe openview andback intocompliance.

While the fire barrel was nice inappearance, however, Leave No Trace

graphics allowed embers to escape.


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MiscellaneousObservations

An innovative laundry-styleshade structure and thelazier answer an office

trailer rented for the event.This was in a participants

camp near the walk-in area

and not part of the eventorganizers facilities.


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MiscellaneousObservations

Green Burning Man

Diesel-Powered Generators

Vs.

Solar or Wind Power


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6. Hot SpringsBLM Stipulation 23 states:

Cultural Resources23. BRC personnel will discourage travel, including travel by aircraft, to other historical, cultural,

recreational or geographical resources in the Black Rock Desert area during the event. BRC will discourage

participant use of hot springs for the purpose of bathing, or extracting mud or water.

GoalEnsure hot springs are in good condition and patrols are present.

MethodologyTeam members traveled to the hot springs to photo-document the condition ofthe springs area and check that Earth Guardian patrols were present.


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ResultsThe condition of the springs was good and patrols were present when photo-documented during event.

Dune damage by vehicles and OHVs at Coyote Springs and all dunes on the

playa edges is a year-round problem from all users. During the event, JustinRobbins and Dave Ingram lead a team to build a fence and post signs at CoyoteSprings. Photos of this are included in the files for documentation, however, it isnot meant to imply the damage is to be attributed to the BMan event.


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During June 2008 inspectionFencing and postings seem to be protecting the dunes from further damage.On the two dunes with fences, there no evidence of recent driving across thedunes. A dune without a fence looks like it was driven across a few times by oneuser.

RecommendationsWith tight patrols of the event perimeter and a general understanding byparticipants that use of the springs is not allowed, it is possible that the EarthGuardians spring patrols may no longer be necessary as was in the past.


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7. Airport PlacementBLM Stipulations 47 & 49-51 state:

AIRPORT / AIRCRAFT MANAGEMENT47. An aircraft runway will be located outside the BRC boundaries with a taxiway leading to a separate pilot

camping and parking area, as identified in the Burning Man Operating Plan.

49b.The runway will be marked to make it visible to pilots and also to alert surface traffic to avoid it. Themarking will be removed at event completion.

49c Signs with reflectors will be installed at prominent or strategic locations around the event airport to

forewarn playa travelers of safety hazards.

49d. Aviation windsocks are to be placed at each end of the runway to provide pilots with a visual reference

of wind speed and direction, and to alert other recreational users on the 1. playa of an operational runway.

49d. The windsocks are to be removed at event completion.

49e. Numbers and threshold markings at both ends of the runway will indicate compass bearing and help

define the runway boundaries. These numbers will be painted on the playa surface using a biodegradable

agricultural colorant exhibiting properties that will allow it to naturally degrade and disappear when

exposed to sunlight.

50. A helipad will be designated and marked for emergency use.

51. Ultra-light aircraft take off/landing areas will be designated in the area to the southeast of the airport

camp.

Goal & MethodologyIn 2006, the airport runway was discovered to be outside of the Public ClosureArea. This could potentially endanger public safety. This year airport featuresincluding the runway, camping area etc were located by GPS and oncecombined with other GIS data, was determined to be again outside the PublicClosure Area.

Results


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Results (continued)The airport runway is outside of the Public Closure Area.The challenges in laying out the runway and other airport facilities stem from -

1) The closure areas are in part are defined by legal descriptions which arenot visible landmarks that can be seen on the ground, making it hard for

the airport users, public and law enforcement to ascertain theseboundaries,2) The closure areas are in part defined by playa tracks. The tracks

represented on the closure maps are older GIS data. GPS data from 2006shows the track locations have drifted over time,

3) The airport and runway are dangerously close the Coyote- Springs/3-Miletrack which is open to the public.

4) The airport is not laid out before the event begins so BLM cannot make thisdetermination until it is too late to coordinate with BMan on the exact airportlocation

5) BMan lacks the GIS data on the BLM closure maps to lay out the runway

and other airport structures.

During the June 2008 inspection, no trace of airport structures or runways wasseen on the playa surface.

RecommendationsSuggest moving the Site A & B city sites slightly towards Hwy 34 and/orexpanding closure area and defining the closure areas by more identifiableboundaries. BLM and BMan should coordinate closely on the runway locationwhen designating closure areas and laying out the airport on site before theevent start and certainly before planes start arriving.


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8. Perimeter Fence SurveysBLM Stipulation 32 states:

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT32.Permittee shall install a 360 event perimeter/boundary trash fence. Any accumulation of trash that appears

to be spilling over the fence or passing through a fence break will be collected. Fence breaks will be

repaired immediately upon discovery. Permittee shall construct the southwest and southeast flanks of the

perimeter fence prior to installation of other facilities to safely direct vehicular traffic around the site.

GoalTo ensure and document that the accumulated trash along the fence lines wasdisposed of in a timely manner.

MethodologyRegular patrols were made by BLM staff of the perimeter fence for accumulateddebris and the presence of trash patrols.

Results

During the event, impressively wide and deep sand dunes formed along thefences downwind. These dunes had the potential to bury a significant amount oftrash. After the fence was taken down, the amount of playa dust deposited (inthese dunes were up to 18 high and 100s of yards long). This clearly altered theplaya-scape and present a public safety hazard for those driving across theplaya with the assumption that it is uniformly flat and suitable for high speedtravel. This no longer seems to be the case through the Burning Man site andother areas of the playa.

During the Event


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June 2008 inspectionThe entire perimeter fence was driven. The northern most point along theperimeter fence towards Trego was defined by marked changes in the playasurface. The driver was able to track the location of the perimeter fence byfollowing defined series of dunes on the left and right side of the truck. There was

also a well- defined point where the fence nears Coyotes Springs and turns backsouth. The trace disappeared about a fifth of the way south towards to the nextfence corner. Another large series of dunes appeared from the fence cornernearest Bman/BLM ICS and proceeded north. Those dunes followed the maintrack and the perimeter fence. On other sides of the fence, there was noevidence of the fence. This pattern corresponds with expectations given thatprevailing winds originate in the south, and deposit dust on the north side ofBlack Rock City.

These dunes are unlike former dunes on the playa which were a series ofwashboard bumps and/or larger, smooth speed bumps. The shape of these

dunes resemble small mountain ranges with peaks and valleys. They are apotential hazard for those hitting these dunes unexpectedly, especially at highspeeds. Below are the photographs taken to show this disturbance of the playasurface.

Fence corner by ICS


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Northern-most fence corner headed toward Trego

Left: Shape of dunes unlike previouswashboard dunes or large flat ovalrises

Below: Note significant lines ofdunes both left and right of traveledtracks


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RecommendationsWhile BMan bladed these dunes after the event in order to reduce their height,their presence is still clearly detectable and in need of further monitoring.Questions to be investigated are: Will the accumulated material be sufficientlydispersed over time? Or will these dunes solidify into the Mother of all playa

serpents? The dunes should be studied more closely as part of the cumulativeimpact for the Burning Man event and the amount of use the event attracts to theplaya during other periods each year.


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9. PPPP Porta Potty Placement PlanBLM Stipulations 59 states:

SANITATION59.BRC will coordinate with NV State Health Division, and the toilet contractor(s) to provide the proper

number of toilets and hand sanitizers for the peak anticipated population and adequate resources for

toilet pumping and maintenance consistent with the requirements of the health department. The

following additional requirements apply:a.A contingency plan for additional toilets will be in place in case the anticipated population exceeds

estimates.

b.A minimum of two toilets each will be located in the communities of Gerlach and Empire to reduce impactson local sewer systems. Toilet locations will be coordinated with the communities involved.

c.Banks of toilets will be placed in the Art area and will be prominently identified at night.d. Banks of toilets will be placed at regular intervals along the exit road during the peak exodus periods.

GoalMinimize playa puddles (particularly the many found every morning near theEsplanade) to create a more sanitary and pleasant environment.

MethodologyDuring the Monitoring Teams survey of the city they made note of any unsanitarytoilets (none found), puddles (many!) and the number of rented porta-pottiesparticipants installed in their own camps. The potties folder contains photos ofthese as an attempt to capture how often participants rented a porta-potty fortheir own camp.

Results & RecommendationsOutside of BRC, there needs to be better placement of potties in Gerlach. Duringthe beginning of the event, the potties at the Visitor Contact Trailer are:

1) beyond Gerlach, participants are stopping in local establishmentsexclusively to use the facilities not knowing there are potties at the VCT,

2) during Influx, the potties are on the opposite side of the road from trafficand difficult to access particularly in a continuous line of traffic,

3) a larger bank of potties with more regular servicing is needed during bothInflux and Exodus.

Inside BRC, consider a placement plan to balance both the needs of theparticipants in locating facilities and the needs of the pump truck staff for efficientaccess routes throughout the city. Potty locations based on the BMan event mapwere screen-digitized to a shapefile. This can be used to analyze the minimum,maximum and average distances to the potties and assist in future planning.

For the participants convenience, suggest adding the potty locations to the smallBMan-distributed postcard BRC maps.

The pictured large dance-saloon camp just happened to be down the block froma bank of potties but if not, it could be have been a concern. Suggest placingpotties within large rave camps and other areas attracting many participants.Alternatively, through Burning Mans theme camp registration process camps,camps expecting large numbers of visitors could preferentially be located banks.


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The photo on theleft shows onlypart of this large

Saloon Ravecamp. This camphappened to belocated just downthe road from abank of Porta-Potties providedby the event. It issuggested thatlarge camps beencouraged or

required to bringin toilets for toaccommodatetheir manyguests.

The photo below is a testament to thelevel of awareness amongst the

participants of the need to Leave NoTrace. While monitoring the event, aparticipant flagged down a BLM golf

cart to report that while attempting toservice the RV, the tank leaked all

over everything. They were looking foradvice on how to best deal with the

yuckand were worried that theircamp would otherwise get a ding from

the authorities.


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10. OtherThe below stipulations were met this year but not photo-documented. Thesesame stipulations were photo-documented extensively in 2006. Should moredetail be needed please refer to the 2006 Stipulation Monitoring Report orcontact a lead member of the BLM.

GENERALStip 7. The permittee shall post a copy of the Special Recreation Permit (Form 2930-1) and permit stipulations in plain

view at Center Camp

FEDERAL CLOSURESStip 14. BRC shall comply with all permit requirements and conditions as identified in the permit issued and as

authorized for any given year and with all applicable supplemental regulations (i.e. closure orders, fire restrictions,

etc.) in effect during the event.

FUGITIVE DUST

Stip 30b. Fugitive dust suppression efforts on roads will be performed at a minimum of once daily by watering to keep

fugitive road dust at a minimum during event operation and during and after event closure.

30d. Water trucks used for dust control will carry prominent signs stating 'Non-Potable Water--Avoid Contact" as

required by state regulations. Signs must remain visible at all times.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENTStip 33. The following areas of special concern will be patrolled by the Burning Man staff for cleanup of event-related

trash: County Road 34 from the 8-Mile entrance to State Route (SR) 447, SR 447 from the intersection with County

Road 34 to Wadsworth and from Gerlach to the California state line, and SR 446 from Nixon to SR 445 near Sutcliffe.

SIGNAGEStip 34. BRC shall provide and post signs, as determined by the authorized officer. All signs manufactured by BRC for

use on state or county roads will be made to standards comparable to NDOT regulations. Stip 35. The following items will be in place no later than 5 days prior to the event:

DOT regulated, reflective signs will be placed along County Rd 34 warning participants that the entrance is just ahead.

A large lighted sign posted at the event entrance on County Rd 34 that clearly identifies the entrance.

At the gate, signs prominently identifying the entrance and contains the following: The possession and use of personal

fireworks or sale of fireworks is prohibited and Possession of firearms is prohibited.

Orange trash fences, construction cones, signs or other structures should be placed on the closed roads that lead into

the city. Signs should say that the road is closed and provide alternate access information.Signs identifying the public closure area should be posted appropriately around the perimeter of the event to warn non-

participants of how to legally travel around the event perimeter.

Signs to provide the public with information concerning closures and available playa access points during the event

should be located along County Road 34 to the north and south of the event.

Maps depicting public closures should be located at all public playa entrances

Signs depicting the route to the event access/exit and the access/exit turnoff on County Road 34.

Caution signs will be placed along County Road 34 in both directions out from the event access and at other prominent

or strategic locations around the event to forewarn travelers of traffic safety hazards and the event ahead.

TRAFFIC CONTROLStip 41a.BRC shall coordinate with the Nevada Department of Transportation for traffic control at County Road 34

entrances/exits to BRC, the Y intersection of State Road 447 and County Road 34, and the towns of Gerlach and

Empire during heavy traffic periods (prior to, during exit and after the event) to keep traffic moving steadily. Permittee

shall apply for a permit from the NDOT to conduct flagging operations as necessary.

Stip 72. BRC shall provide a minimum of two structural/brush-type fire engines, National Wildfire Coordinating Group(NWCG) type 3-6. Engines and staff must meet NWCG or NWSA (National Wildfire Suppression Association)

standards for personnel and equipment. These fire engines will be strategically placed within BRC as determined

necessary by the BRC fire contracto


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MONITORING TEAM

STAFF

Roger FarschonNCA Ecologist& Incident CommanderBLM Surprise FO

Joey CarmosinoOutdoor Recreation Planner& Logistics LeadNCA & BLM Winnemucca FO

Justin Robbins

NCA Park RangerBLM Winnemucca FO

Laura M. LevyGIS Specialistformerly BLM WinnemuccaFO


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VOLUNTEERS

1. Charmaine Murray, BTCV, Edinborough, Scotland2. Christopher Polley, BTCV, Guildford, England3. Dion Battersby, BTCV, London, England

4. Louise Hart, BTCV, Bridgewater, England5. Michael Playfair, BTCV, Norfolk, England6. Richard Green, BTCV, Bristol, England7. Tom Lally, BTCV, London, England8. Tom Sharples, BCTV, Yorkshire, England9. Holly Palmer, NOS, Winnemucca, NV10. Seth Ames, NOS, Winnemucca, NV11. Dave Ingram, NOS, Leeds, England12. Stephanie Lefevre, NOS, Winnemucca, NV13. Angie Dykema, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Reno, NV14. Pat Bruce, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Reno, NV

15. Jon Fleck, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Reno, NV16. Adriane Zacnanidis, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Las Vegas, NV17. Dave Book, Friends of Black Rock High Rock, Reno, NV18. Sydney Booz, Surprise BLM Office, Cedarville, CA19. Mike, Surprise BLM Office, Cedarville, CA


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TIL NEXT YEAR!

Report prepared by

Integrated Mapping StrategiesLaura M. Levy4847 Jones LaneWinnemucca, NV 89445liltex775@gmail com

2007 burning man stipulation monitoring report

Documents