Burning Man Law Goes Into Effect July 1st
Burning Man law approved. Burning Man is an annual experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and radical self-reliance. The event will be held in the Black Rock Desert, 120 miles north of Reno, Nevada. The towns of Empire and Gerlach serve as guardians of the desert region. It will be held the week prior to and including Labor Day weekend, that is August 26th to September 2nd, 2013.
The theme for 2013 is Cargo Cult.
On June 5, 2013, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed AB374 into law or the Burning Man law, a bill sponsored by Assemblyman David Bobzien that streamlines the permitting process for events like Burning Man held on federal lands.
“This is a huge victory for the Burning Man event,” said Raymond Allen, Government Affairs Representative for Black Rock City, LLC. “The law ensures local permitting requirements won’t infringe upon the First Amendment rights of Burning Man participants. It also ensures the continued right of assembly for the entire event.”
The new law gives counties the right to opt out of state permitting requirements for events held on federal land that already undergo a comprehensive federal permitting process. As a result of collaborative negotiations involving Burning Man representatives, Pershing County officials and the Nevada Association of Counties, Pershing County commissioners already passed a resolution exempting Burning Man from county permitting requirements in perpetuity.
“It’s a win-win for everyone and a testament to the benefit of collaboration,” Allen said. “Our goal has always been to adequately compensate Pershing County for the services it provides to our event. This law ensures compensation occurs through a contract with the County per the requirements of our Bureau of Land Management permit.”
The bill passed unanimously in the Nevada Assembly and Senate, and goes into effect on July 1st.