Burning Man likely to return to same site after cleanup efforts

RENO, Nev. - Burning Man celebrants likely will be allowed to return to the same site in the northern Nevada desert next year after leaving it clean this year, federal officials said Monday.

Terry Reed, field manager of the Bureau of Land Management's Winnemucca office, praised cleanup efforts on the Black Rock Desert after the weeklong counterculture festival, which ended Labor Day.

''I know in general we were quite pleased,'' he said. ''Certainly, nothing has come up that would cause us to take a different look at the event.''

BLM outdoor recreation planner Lynn Clemons predicted organizers would be able to secure a special recreation permit for the same site next year. The site is on BLM land 120 miles north of Reno.

''I see no difficulty of that right now,'' he said.

More than 26,000 free spirits from at least 40 states and 20 countries took part in the festival billed as a celebration of art and radical self-expression.

The Mardi Gras-like celebration began in San Francisco in 1986 and moved to the Nevada desert in 1990. It features an offbeat mix of art and music in a surreal 5-square-mile encampment known as Black Rock City.

BLM officials attributed the successful cleanup to organizers' tougher leave-no-trace policies this year.

Burning Man spokeswoman Andie Kopp said fire platforms were used for the first time to prevent burn scars on the desert floor.

The event climaxes with the torching of a 52-foot-high wooden man from which the event gets its name. This year, even the ''Man'' did not touch the ground.

It also climaxes with artists tossing their paintings, sculptures and other creations on bonfires to reinforce the celebration of art for art's sake. This year, the bonfires were on platforms.

''Last year, we had 220 burn scars on the desert and this year only about 18,'' Kopp said. ''Next year, we'll build even more platforms.''

Organizers also strongly urged participants to dispose of their trash and devote two hours to cleanup.

''I think people are more aware that the question of whether we can return hinges on the cleanup,'' Kopp said.

BLM officials, law enforcement authorities and Burning Man organizers recently met to discuss lessons from this year's event.

''There really weren't any major problems this year,'' Reed said.

Some participants complained about an excessive law enforcement presence at the event. More than 100 participants either were cited or arrested, a third of them on drug charges.

''It was a surprise to see the level of surveillance,'' Kopp said. ''It was in Pershing County, so you had a different police force that was out there for the first time.''