Bureau of Land Management

What They Require:

The Bureau of Land Management owns the property on which our son was killed. A permit is required when using federal land for any commercial use and a permit was issued to Universal/MCA Television for filming on this site. The permit clearly specified that any and all safety measures should be taken to ensure the safety of all people present on the set. Signs are in fact displayed in many locations on the BLM property indicating that helmets are required when operating a motorcycle or other all terrain vehicles, ie dune buggies. If conditions of the permit are not met then the permit can be withdrawn and fines levied against the permit holder.

The Reality:

Despite the fact that seatbelts and helmets were not used by any actors driving the dune buggies in any of the scenes in the movie, no one from the Bureau of Land Management ever enforced the rules they laid down in their permit. Despite the fact that a fatal accident occurred, involving a company working on their lands under a special use permit, the Bureau of Land Management did no investigation, levied no charges or fines, and did not even withdraw the special use permit. They did absolutely nothing.

Return to The Investigation page.