Yeah, but you have to register your group at www.burningman.com.

That's pathetic. Literally.

There is no set number of people-per-camp which triggers a permit requirement from the BLM. It is at the manager's discretion if they deem a gathering to be potentially destructive to resources in the National Recreation Area. Also, they take into account whether the gathering is for a commercial purpose, or whether it has been organized.

The North American Eagle land speed folks only had 30 people or so in their group, not including film crews and looky loos, and they were required to have a permit in the "fee demo" model of $4 per person per day. Of course, they also had a converted F-104 jet car with sponsorship logos plastered all over it, and were conducting a potentially dangerous activity.

Here's the map of the closure area from last year: blackrockdesert.org/maps/200...e_Map.gif
It seems larger than the 50 yards someone has suggested.

The Fourth of July activities on the playa have taken on the vernacular "Fourth of Juplaya" moniker, and last time this was enough for the BLM to start looking at it as an organized event, regardless of how far apart camps were placed. They were also looking at the internet for signs of "planning." They nade noises about enforcement, but ultimately there was no drama, and people just did what they did.

The BLM has a responsibility to protect the resources of the NCA and, like it or not, has default liability for the safety of citizens who visit. They will continue to try to collect fees from significant activities on the playa to fund their administrative costs. Their funding has gone down every year throughout the history of their existence. Burning Man is a significant part of their budget, though most of that income pays for the administration of the event itself.

In my opinion, an en masse occupation of the playa without coordination would be a huge disaster.