2022 - 50th Anniversary Rainbow Gathering in COLORADO - Clean up

 In 2022, the Rainbow Family celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Gathering by returning to the state of Colorado, where the Gatherings began. As usual, locals in the area were VERY concerned about crime and damage to the area. A travel blogger who goes by Travel DNA on Youtube said he was going to come up to the site and document the Gathering WHILE it was happening, and then come back after the clean up was complete to see the difference for himself and show video documentation of his findings. 

This first video was recorded at the height was recorded at the height of the Gathering on July 1, 2022. Here you will see footage from inside the forest as the Gathering is going on. 

Then, Travel DNA returns four times after the Gathering to show how well the Rainbow Family cleaned up after themselves.

This second video returns to many of the camps and kitchens at the Gathering and shows you both the DURING and the AFTER pics side by side. 

Keep in mind, the Forest Service never helps the Rainbow Family clean up a Gathering site (as it should be). The attendees work to minimize cleanup, do much of their own, and a dedicated group of volunteers stays in camp, working hard daily to do any restoration work, often turning over compressed soil, and reseeding new paths with local seed. The Forest Service used to print out a report after each Gathering documenting the excellent work done by Gatherers, but stopped supplying these clean up reports in recent years, possibly because Rainbow used them frequently to dispel fears in local communities.

Many thanks to TravelDNA for showing an unbiased local view, and the before and after photos of how it all went down.

Clean Up Report - MISSOURI - 1996 Rainbow Gathering in Mark Twain National Forest

United States     Forest       Mark Twain National Forest
Department of     Service      Doniphann - Eleven Point Ranger District
Agriculture                    1104 Walnut St. RR 1, Box 1908 P.O. Box 68
                               Doniphan, MO 63935 Winona, MO 65588 Van Buren 63965
                               573-996-2153 573-325-4233 573-323-4216
                               (All numbers listed are Voice/fax-Accessible)

Caring for the Land and Serving People

______________________________________________

Date. July 29, 1996

To: Rainbow 1996 Gathering Participants

On this date Ben Wyatt and myself conducted a final inspection of the Spring Crook area where the Rainbow's 1996 gathering took place.. We discussed the final cleanup measures with Badger, Riffraff, and Dakota.

We found the entire area completely cleaned up and rehabilitated. All trash had been picked up and removed and all latrines and compost pits had been filled In and rehabilitated as described in the rehabilitation plan. All construction materials used in housing and cooking facilities had been scattered throughout the area to resemble a more natural condition.

With the recent rains the trampled down vegetation in the fields had already started to green-up and revegetate the heavily used areas. There were several areas that had been seeded with wheat and some clover and this seeding work was beyond the rehabilitation plan specifications.

The cleanup results were excellent but of no surprise. From the very first contacts - made at the beginning of the gathering clean-up work was being conducted by sorting trash, rehabilitating latrenes and compost areas, and continuous picking up trash including cigarett butts.

It is very obvious to me that there are several members of the Rainbow Family dedicated to maintaining a clean environment despite the obstacles of the heat/humidity, getting sick, and an overwhelming job. Individuals I would like to personally thank include: Badger, Dakota, Saylor, Jim, Victor, Val,, Kaba, Riffraff, and many others who worked so hard.

My personal thanks for a job well done and appreciated by all users of this National Forest area.

(signed) Terry Miller
TERRY MILLER
District Ranger



Original Source

Clean Up Report - OREGON - 1997 Rainbow Gathering in Ochoco National Forest

United States          Forest           Big Summit Ranger District
Department of          Service          33700 Ochoco Ranger Station
Agriculture                             Prineville, OR 97754

_____________________________________________
File Code: 2720
Date: July 28, 1997

Rainbow Family of Living Light

Dear Rainbow Family Participants,

We are pleased with the cleanup and rehabilitation efforts by the Rainbow Family volunteers following the 1997 Gathering on the Big Summit Ranger District. Your commitment to caring for the land was demonstrated by your thoroughness and attention to detail and the District appreciates your hard work and cooperation in meeting the resource objectives.

When the number of Rainbow Gathering participants rapidly decreased from some 15,000 to about 500 between July 8 and July 15, kitchens and camps were dismantled and activity areas were cleaned up very quickly. Garbage was centralized; recycling and trash removal efforts were initiated and continued until completed.

Evidence of trails disappeared, water bars were constructed where necessary, and slash was scattered. Rocks were effectively dispersed from fire rings, circles, and ovens. Latrines, grey water, and compost areas were backfilled, kitchen structures were dismantled and little to no evidence remains of their locations. Compacted areas, particularly around the kitchens, were spaded and slashed and the heavy traffic areas around Welcome Home and drum circles were reseeded. In many areas, vegetation was recovering within two weeks following peak of the gathering. Fences were spliced and repaired. Abandoned vehicles were identified and towing was coordinated with the Forest Service and the Rainbow Family participants.

Cleanup efforts and rehabilitation were thorough and occurred mostly within two weeks following the peak of the gathering. Our post-gathering walk-though inspections showed that the cleanup volunteers were highly committed to completing the job.

Those of us on the Big Summit Ranger District appreciated your excellent cooperation on the resource issues before, during and after your gathering. Thanks again for your commitment to cleanup and restoration of Indian Prairie.

Sincerely,
(signed) Susan V. Skalski
SUSAN V. SKALSKI
District Ranger


Caring for the Land and Serving People


Original Source

Clean Up Report - PENNSYLVANIA 1999 Rainbow Gathering in Allegheny National Forest

FINAL IMPACT SUMMARY
1999
NATIONAL RAINBOW FAMILY GATHERING
ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST
***********
1999 National Rainbow Event Resource Summary
USDA, Forest Service, Region 9
Allegheny National Forest

Introduction: The 1999 National Rainbow gathering occurred on lands administered by the Allegheny National Forest, Marienville Ranger District. The event occurred from early June, 1999 through September 1999 when clean-up operations were completed.

The site chosen for the gathering was just south of the Bear Creek Campground near the community of Ridgway, Pennsylvania. This site was very remote with limited interior vehicular access opportunities. The vegetation is almost entirely tree-covered with limited interior openings. Because of the extreme remoteness, steep terrain, and limited openings, this site was not recommended as desirable for a gathering of this magnitude.

A team of Forest Service Resource Specialists was assembled, charged with the task of doing a pre/post event assessment of resource impacts both negative and positive. These assessments were shared openly and frequently with Rainbow Family members in the hope that long term negative impacts of the gathering would be minimized or avoided. Specialists in Soils, Heritage, Water Quality, Recreation, Engineering, and Wildlife made an initial and post-event assessment of the resources. The resource writeups are included in this document and form the basis for the following summary.

Summary: After reviewing the pre/post event evaluations by the team of resource specialists assigned to this event. I have concluded that there will be minimal long-term negative resource impacts to the Bear Creek site. One Heritage site was damaged during the event. All other resource impacts have been adequately addressed, mitigated or rehabilitated.

The post-event Rainbow Family contingent did a very good job of cleanup and site reclamation. As time passes, it will be increasingly difficult to determine that a gathering of this magnitude ever occurred in the Bear Creek area. The Forest Service District Ranger and Resource Assessment team experienced a high degree of cooperation with the family on any matter where natural resource issues were of concern. I believe this is largely due to the cooperative spirit that was established with family members at the outset of the gathering and carried that the event by mutual encounters by Forest Service and Rainbow family members.

LEON F. BLASHOCK
District Ranger

---

CLEAN UP and SITE RESTORATION

These activities consisted of searching out and filling in all slit latrines; removal of all litter and man made facilities from the Bear Creek Valley and along Forest Service roads numbered 135, 136, 393 (bus village), and 161, and Bear Creek Recreation Area; removal of abandoned vehicles; restoration of wildlife food plots; restoration of areas that needed waterbars and seeding.

The energy and commitment that went into returning the site back to its near natural state is to be highly commended. All requests for needed restoration action and follow-up was met with a spirit of wanting to do the right thing for clean-up and restoration. The USFS resource coordinator met many times with various groups and individuals of the Rainbow Family (RBF) prior to, during, and after the gathering to coordinate and seek cooperation in reducing resource impacts and mitigate impacts from RBF activities.

The Resource Coordinator (RC) made numerous trips into Bear Creek Valley during the clean-up/restoration phase and when only 12 campers were left. Lists were made of what had to be done and given to members. Several walk throughs were made with RBF members to see what needed to be done and to what standard.

The RC spent several days walking out most of the trail system located on the plateau, low slope, and riparian positions. No uncovered latrines were found. One was found that did not have enough soil cover but was covered correctly the next day.

Litter and trash removal started on July 6th. The material was removed to three concentrated recycling centers. All material was examined and separated for recycling. Local organizations were contacted for the various materials and they came out and picked up the material. Remaining non-recyclable material was placed in large dumpsters to be hauled to a local landfill. Some material was taken home by members to ease the demand on local landfills. RBF fully met their obligation to remove all litter/trash material. All abandoned vehicles were removed.

One wildlife food plot required restoration. This plot was at the A Camp location. RBF contracted with the same contractor the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) uses to renovate food plots. The work met ANF standards and was completed in a timely manner. One other plot was impacted but it needed renovation prior to RBF use.

Approximately 60% of the main trails were located on existing Forest Service roads, historical logging trails and/or historical logging railroad grades. The main trail in the "Main Meadow" area was wide, bare of vegetation and compacted. Rainbow Family rented an aerator and ran this over most of the trails. It removed a core of soil about 3/4 inches wide and 1 to 2 inches deep. On these compacted areas, the seed catch and sprouting was greatest in these small holes. After being undisturbed for 3 to 4 weeks natural vegetation began to sprout. Some areas were too shady to plant, but the RBF took it upon themselves to seed some of these areas. Some existing waterbars were restored. One area of waterbars was not done correctly. Members re-did those water-bars. Kitchen Areas were aerated using shovels and picks. Bridging and stone crossings were removed to allow for natural drainage. Some observable traces of the sites occupation will remain until leaf fall. The RBF satisfactorily "naturalized" camping areas and kitchen sites by scattering rocks, scattering logs, and filling fire pits.
Bill Moriarity
Resource Coordinator


Original Source