In June of 2016, Burning Man Project purchased the Fly Ranch property, 3,800 acres of land located twenty-one miles north of Gerlach in Washoe County, Nevada.
You may be asking yourself, “What does this mean for us? What can we do with this? How will this benefit the community?” These answers will unfold slowly. We’re a long way from defining exactly what will happen at Fly Ranch, but it’s not too early to begin dreaming of the potential.
Those who have been deeply affected by a Burning Man event or experience have often asked, “How can we bring this beyond the event?” This desire has persisted throughout our history, and our drive to support those efforts has always led us to wonder, “What if we had a place to experiment with and apply the Ten Principles 365 days a year?” These questions are at the heart of why the Burning Man Project exists, and Fly Ranch offers an exciting canvas and a beautifully inspiring landscape where we will explore new possibilities with the extended community.
Buying the property is the first step on a long journey. As stewards of this unique piece of land, our foremost responsibility is to ensure it will be maintained for generations to come. This will require planning and preparation. Then, we’ll spend the next few years exploring the possibilities for Fly Ranch.
As we go forward, one of our highest priorities will be listening. Listening to the land and listening to people.
As environmental stewards, we must intimately understand what plants and animals coexist at Fly Ranch, how the sun and wind influence the site, and what changes occur between the seasons and over the years. As community facilitators, we must ensure there is a platform for sharing and understanding the thoughts, dreams and concerns of people throughout the Burning Man community as well as the local Gerlach/Empire community, governmental agencies, environmental groups, and those working on their own year-round land use projects.
If you want to join the conversation, please visit the Fly Ranch website.