Fly Ranch Vision & History

A permanent Burning Man Rural Center for Interactive Arts & Community Participation

Introduction

In 2016 Burning Man Project began stewarding a 3,800 acre ranch in Northern Nevada called Fly Ranch. People have asked “what’s going on at Fly Ranch?”, “what's the vision for Fly Ranch?”, and “why did Burning Man get involved in a ranch?” As we head into a broader phase of the project it feels valuable to reflect back and share what we see on the road ahead. The idea of a year-round platform for Burning Man is driven by shared interest, a belief in Burning Man, and mutual curiosity. We have a spreadsheet with 550 people who played a role in the 20 year acquisition process. Thousands more who have participated since then. Chip Conley, one of the contributors and early leaders in the project summarized it simply: “What happens when Burners are invited to co-create a space beyond the playa?” Given that Fly Ranch is 5.6 square miles, thousands of people have participated, and we have all year to work, the outcome is a combination of projects and visions.

History of the Land

Fly Ranch has a 15,000+ year history of stewardship. More recently the land has been deeply damaged and impacted for the past 140 years. The property was used as an airport, a homestead, a cattle ranch, a water supply, and an alfalfa farm. In the U.S. there are 574 federally recognized Indian Nations that once lived freely throughout the country. Northern Nevada has a stewardship history that includes the Numu (Northern Paiute), Nuwu (Southern Paiute), and Newe (Western Shoshone), and other nations. They were all negatively impacted by colonialism. The Numu recognize a transcendental power in nature called puha that could be found in plants, stones, water and elsewhere. As Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council Member Maurice Eban explained: “Since time immemorial, we Indian People have had a respect for the land that we walk upon. At no time has that caretaking responsibility changed. Indian People are still the rightful caretaker of this land.” Burns Paiute Indian Tribal Chairwoman Charlotte Rodrique put it directly: “We were here first.” This surfaces questions for us that feel important to continually consider. Our actions won’t fix long-term geopolitical conflicts that are generations old. What we can do is consider our actions in relation to land use, people, and ecology. We can work to be good future ancestors. To learn more visit the Pyramid Lake Tribe Paiute Museum, read a book, or read our 2020 sustainability update.

The Point of this page

This document has two goals. First, to offer information to interested people, potential collaborators, and similar projects. Second, to thank and acknowledge those who made this happen. If you read all the linked documents, you’ll have a fair grasp of the administration and history of the project. We want everyone to be able to understand the nuances and fully participate. What follows is a brief history. We begin by recalling when Burning Man moved to Fly Ranch in 1997. We then discuss the Fly Ranch acquisition. We conclude with an overview of what has emerged since the acquisition and discuss the viability of the emerging vision.

Part 1: How Burning Man moved to Fly Ranch

In 1986, Larry Harvey and Jerry James went to Baker Beach in San Francisco and burned a wooden man. They decided to make it an annual event. John Law, the Cacophony Society, and hundreds of people got involved. In 1990 Burning Man merged with a zone trip some Cacophonists had planned to the Black Rock Desert. Over time, philosophies, bohemian groups, and lineages became part of Burning Man:

Radical Experimenters &
Performers

Pushing boundaries through performance,

activism, and artistic exploration.

Digital Revolutionaries
& Tech Dreamers 

Early internet, free data, and intersection of

technology with personal and collective

freedom.

Collective Chaos

Participatory and chaotic events that mirror

the radical self-expression and

shared experience.

Mechanized Mayhem
& Creative Destruction

Fusion of art, robotics, and performance

with an anarchic, experimental spirit.

Cultural Disruptors
& Jammers

Disrupt culture and media through satire,

pranks, and thought-provoking interventions.

Interactive Visionaries

Immersive, participatory art experiences

that engage audiences on multiple levels.

Burning Man + Fly Ranch = Black Rock City

In 1997 Burning Man was not able to get a permit to host the event where they had previously hosted it. The organizers needed a new location. Twelve miles down the road was a piece of land with hot springs and a multi-colored geyser. BRC moved to Fly Ranch that year. In preparation for the event that year, Will Roger, Coyote, and others built six roads that are still visible. They put up street signs and installed porta potties. 10,000 people came. People talked about if Fly Ranch could be a year-round space. Thus launched a 20 year journey for Burning Man to come back to Fly Ranch. Then, as now, there was art and people soaked in the hot springs. ABC Nightline did a piece about the event: The event gave the founders and others a chance to explore and connect with the land.

Fire Dancing

Fly Hot Springs

The 1997 Man at Fly Ranch

Bone Arch at Fly Ranch

Part 2: The Long Road Home

An iterative vision. The 1997 event planted an idea that people discussed and pursued for 19 years. After the event that year, William Binzen wrote a preliminary proposal for how to develop Fly Ranch that exploreddifferent visions about what Fly Ranch could be. This image illustrates the relationship between Fly Ranch and other entities. It was drafted later during the acquisition process.

Fly Ranch has long been a part of BRC. Throughout this period, Burning Man bought water from Fly Ranch to use on BRCs roads to keep the dust down. The water was one motivation behind the acquisition. 

Fly Ranch Hot Springs

Fly Ranch Upper Reservoir

Initial efforts. In 2005 Ken Vanosky wrote a proposal about the land, worked to determine an offer price, and looked at deal structures for a geothermal facility. In 2009, Marian Goodell conceived of an idea for 100 people to go to Fly Ranch for a dinner, bus tour, and conversation about a “year-round Burning Man facility.” 

Here’s the dinner invite. The event was beautifully described and documented by John Curley. 

An organization. Black Rock City LLC had been founded as a new entity in 2000 by Larry Harvey, Marian Goodell, Harley K. Dubois, Michael Mikel, Crimson Rose, and Will Roger. It became the permit holder and entity responsible for BRC administration each year. In 2008, the Founders concluded that a non-profit was the most socially responsible option to ensure and protect the future of Burning Man. The entity took 18 months to develop, and was submitted in 2011 with by-laws and board member names. Over many years they transitioned employees, IP, and associated projects into a new nonprofit and donated their shares to the nonprofit.

Plans. Around the same time, Rod Garrett, Larry, and Will made plans for a financially sustainable and environmentally regenerative facility. In 2011, Will chaired a committee to support the acquisition and draft proposals. They expanded on maps Rod and Don Clark made with zones for energy, research, art, events, camping, and conservation. The team imagined the project would create public benefit and support economic growth in Northern Nevada. Here’s a map that Don made: 

Funds. As Burning Man Project did not receive 501(c)3 status until 2012, the plan was to raise funds through the Black Rock Arts Foundation. Staff members Doron Amiran and James Hanusa started to fundraise. Jennifer Raiser later supported those efforts. Ben Thompson was the project manager. Matthew Kwatinetz, later a Burning Man Project board member, helped with plans. They began to engage the community. A few people made small donations and larger pledges were promised. It’s difficult to manage an intense event season for half of a year in tandem with a nonprofit. The acquisition project required a team.

Part 3: Closing the Deal

The team. Chip Conley went to the 2009 Fly Ranch Dinner. He was enamored with Will's vision and love of the property. He saw Fly as the yin to BRC's yang. He became a Burning Man Project board member and re-ignited the effort with a first large gift.  This enabled the organization to form a team:

Bear Kittay was invited to join the project by Marian around this time around. He was formerly Burning Man’s Global Ambassador and started to fundraise. 

Daniel Claussen had experience in landscape conservation, eco-hospitality, and impact investment. He led the project for the later period. 

James Milner is a management consultant who helped in a part-time strategy and advisory role.

Katiyana Kittay had experience in event production and philanthropy. She was the lead for tours and events.

A vision for participation. The team developed a vision and plans for funds and community engagement:

The Fly Ranch Project is a one-of-a-kind legacy opportunity for the culture and community of Burning Man to significantly and meaningfully evolve. Fly Ranch, in combination with the adjacent Hualapai Flat, is the only significant piece of land near Black Rock City that has the resources to support and expand Burning Man’s cultural activities into a year-round force.

We are at a pivotal moment in time, one where Burning Man’s creative impact is escalating as a cultural phenomena. With Black Rock City at capacity for multiple years in a row, and with maturing communities and models of Burning Man replicating around the globe we are at a historic juncture in the evolving DNA of “what is Burning Man”?

Fly Ranch will be the centennial home for Burning Man’s legacy, an engine of possibility for our culture and our culture’s ability to make a powerful contribution to humankind in the 21st century and beyond.

Black Rock City’s iconic layout did not come into being until the size of the city reached 12,000 participants. Similarly, we intend for the form of Fly to be shaped and guided by the creative input and expertise of the community over the course of early events and gatherings on site.


The acquisition team made this image in 2014 to project future use.

This vision has mirrored our prorgramming and calendar.

Project management. Larry, Chip, Kay Morrison, David Walker, Terry Gross, and Matt Goldberg became the Fly Ranch Committee of the Board of Directors. The group was facilitated by Marian. The team signed an agreement to manage visits to the property. Rebecca Gasca, Ting Kelly, and Zach Bell supported visits and solicited feedback. Carson Bowley crafted proposals. Internally from Burning Man Project staff, Megan Miller, Playground, Zac Cirivello, and Theresa Duncan coordinated on communications, operations, and philanthropy.

Near miss. In 2015, a joint venture to purchase Fly Ranch and nearby land nearly came together but fell through. Late that year, the team wrote a proposal and gathered a group of potential donors to raise the final $2.2M needed to close on the property. Ping Fu, who would become a Burning Man Board member, became a Fly Ranch donor. Other donors joined: Joe Gebbia, Bill Linton, Rob and Kristin Goldman, Guy Laliberté, Farhad Mohit and Nushin Sabet, Alex Moradi, Graham Schneider, Jonathan Teo, and a few anonymous donors. 

Triple Crown. A vision created at an offsite retreat was that of a “triple crown” with three areas associated with different visions. 

Black Rock City

The cultural home

Black Rock City would remain the radical and ephemeral city of the imagination.

Fly Ranch

Experiments & innovation

Fly Ranch would host experiments around nature, creativity, and relationships.

A Makerspace

Infrastructure & Builds

A makerspace could support building projects which live both at BRC and Fly Ranch.

Success. With the funds needed Burning Man Project purchased the property on June 10, 2016. Ben Henretig, Justin Majeczky, Sashwa Burrous, and Justin Lewis teamed up to make a video to introduce the property.