Forest Service issues 116 violations at Rainbow Family Gathering

For the entirety of its existence, the Rainbow family has not applied for a permit for its gatherings, citing its leaderless structure, where no member can speak for or represent other members. Many Rainbows cite the First Amendment and their right to freedom of assembly, and claim the U.S. Forest Service targets and harasses them in response.

“This is unauthorized, noncommercial use on the forest. Any group over 75 is required to apply for a permit,” said Hilary Markin, a public information officer of the Forest Service. “In response to this incident taking place, we have developed an incident management team that responds to protect health and safety as well as natural resources.”

The sheer volume of participants, as well as the lack of permit for the gathering, has resulted in a shaky, at times confrontational relationship with the Forest Service. On one hand, the department aids with cleaning and set up efforts, on the other, they conduct frequent vehicle stops and search vehicles for drugs.

Many Rainbow participants told The Daily Sun stories of having cars completely emptied out during these traffic stops, or being pulled over and ticketed simply for having a decoration hanging form their rear view mirror.

The incident management team costs taxpayers around $50,000 a year. Despite this big dollar figure, there was no visible Forest Service presence at the gathering. Markin highlighted preparation and cleanup efforts.

“Because of the sheer number of people and size, it becomes more about the health and safety of participants at that point,” Markin said of the reason the agency doesn't block off or ban the gathering. “We were on the ground prior to the Fourth and early days setting up — resources advisers addressing sanitation needs for latrine sites, where they placed their kitchens and erosion control.”

Past Rainbow gatherings have received criticism for leaving behind trash and damaging the environment, but many at the gathering spoke of an extensive cleanup effort, where a few members stay behind for months to clean up, and even reseed damaged plant life. This, too, is a task completed in partnership with the Forest Service.

While the Forest Service does aid in some setup and cleanup efforts, things have not always gone smoothly. There have been physical confrontations in the past, such as a 2008 incident in Wyoming where Forest Service personnel shot Rainbows with pepper ball guns during an arrest, while some Rainbows threw stones.

There have been no confrontations so far this year, but many Rainbow family members reported being pulled over and ticketed for what they consider minor infractions, such as a decoration hanging from their rearview mirror. Others reported having their car interiors turned upside down during drug searches, many of which ended without an arrest or citation.

The efforts by the Forest Service resulted in 116 violations, 56 of which were on drug-related charges.

“It's not just marijuana coming to the gathering,” Markin said, adding that the Forest Service only issued written warnings for pot. “LSD was one, we saw a lot of psilocybin mushrooms. Some were laced with LCD. There was fentanyl, ketamine, heron and ecstasy/MDMA.”

Last year in Colorado, the Forest Service seized a large amount of fentanyl, a move Rainbow family members said they approved.

— Jon Decker