But just hours before the first performance was scheduled to begin, no one had shown up to set up a stage or any of the promised signage to help attendees find the event. Instead, the first three attendees to arrive chatted with BLM officers who let them know they could not stay at the party location.
The BLM originally got wind of plans for a large bonfire event located on the Bonneville Salt Flats in March, when organizers started posting about it. According to Snipes, the BLM reached out to organizers via social media and informed them that a bonfire on the Salt Flats is not legal and provided information about how to apply for a permit to host an event on public land.
Instead of applying for a permit, event organizers changed the location. They released coordinates, potentially sending hundreds of people to a remote area near Kelton, Box Elder County — where they still would have needed a permit to host an event.
After the first few partygoers were intercepted by BLM enforcement officers, the organizers then changed the location again – back to the Salt Flats. Still, according to Snipes, about 75 vehicles with people who did not receive information about the location change showed up to the area near Kelton, where they were turned away.
Busted party on the Salt Flats
BLM enforcement officers showed up to the Bonneville Salt Flats later that evening, where they observed roughly 50 pallets on fire and a crowd of 200 to 300 people partying.
“The information was out there. They were freely giving it.” Snipes said of the organizers, who continued to post and share information about the illegal party online.
“We’ve actually seen, over the past week, they’ve been releasing videos of actions that they were taking on the Salt Flats,” said Snipes, “to include throwing fireworks out the window of a vehicle.”
What the organizers haven’t been sharing on social media is the fact that law enforcers showed up, shut the party down, and issued citations.
“We’re grateful that we were able to intercept this party and we’re getting the word out that we’re watching,” said Snipes.
She said the agency has not yet been back out to the location to view the burn scar left behind and is still in the process of issuing several citations to those involved.
The BLM partnered with the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office, the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office, the Utah Department of Natural Resources, and Utah Highway Patrol on the enforcement action.
Dangers of illegal parties
The BLM’s permitting process allows officials to work with event organizers to ensure events will have appropriate sanitation facilities and public safety measures in place to protect both people in attendance and the environment. According to Snipes, a permit also aids in accountability, helping to ensure people pick up after themselves.
“We practice leave no trace principles, which is essentially: pack in what you pack out,” she said. “Don’t leave any waste, and this includes human waste, and that’s another large problem, especially if you’re on the Salt Flats.”
Snipes said large illegal events can quickly turn into tragedies – they’ve seen crimes occur as a result, including aggravated assault, sexual assault and DUIs.
“Please don’t organize one of these large events,” said Snipes. “It is a drain on resources all across the state, essentially for having to come and intercept these parties. And also, we want everybody to be able to recreate in a safe and responsible way.”
