Three days after being displaced from their gathering place near Susanville, members of the Rainbow Family were establishing a brand new site 25 miles away, the U.S. Forest Service said.
The second campground is near Dixie Creek, about 12 miles north of Beckwourth. Like the primary, it’s positioned within the Plumas National Forest.
As of Monday, Rainbow Family campers were still refusing to use for the permit the Forest Service requires for all groups of greater than 75 people, the agency said.
The original venue on the headwaters of Indian Creek was closed to the general public on Wednesday, June 26, about per week after participants began preparing for the event the primary week of July, with the Forest Service citing public safety and natural resource concerns.
At a town hall meeting the evening before the closure, residents of the Susanville area reiterated their concerns about fire hazards, damage to natural and cultural resources, and crime because of the massive influx of individuals into rural areas.
A forest service update on Monday said about 80 people were still on the Indian Creek site.
Forest Service officials learned of the brand new camp on Saturday, June 29, and imposed a 15 mph speed limit in the world on Monday. Level 1 fire restrictions have been in effect within the Plumas National Forest since June 23, which include a ban on campfires except in designated fire pits at some recreation areas.
Since 1972, the Rainbow Family of Living Light has met every summer on undeveloped public land for a “non-commercial wilderness camping experience where we practice living in peace,” as one member's website describes it. The venue was announced this yr on June 17, and visitors began flocking to the event shortly thereafter.
More than 10,000 people attended the 2022 gathering in Colorado, in comparison with about 3,000 in New Mexico last yr.
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