By Amy Alonzo
Publication Date: 2026-02-13 02:00:00
Late last year, BRDR Properties LLC made waves in the small rural town of Gerlach, the gateway community to the Black Rock Desert and Burning Man.
The company was seeking special use permits that included a request to perform explosives testing at the Iveson Ranch, a 320-acre property it had purchased the year before. The ranch is located about 11 miles from the Black Rock Playa, site of the annual counterculture Burning Man celebration, and 6 miles from the iconic Fly Geyser.
What made the issue more compelling to residents wasn’t just the sale.
It was the secrecy surrounding BRDR LLC.
Former military pilot Mike Arth, who has taken over as general manager of Iveson Ranch since its purchase, has declined to reveal details about the company’s mission or ownership, speaking in public meetings only in broad terms.
Arth told Gerlach community members in November that the company wants “to tell our story on our terms.”
“You’re all going to know in a…