Protecting the night sky: Dark Sky program expanding to Colorado state parks
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – A dozen of Colorado's state parks are now working to reduce light pollution and protect the night sky for stargazers by collaborating with a new dark sky program.
Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the Colorado Tourism Office announced the new DarkSky Colorado partnership on Wednesday.
The mentorship-driven program provides 12 state parks with 20 hours of complimentary consulting from DarkSky Colorado to help them work toward achieving International Dark Sky Place (IDSP) certification by adopting various strategies to reduce light pollution.
The program also offers sky quality meter equipment, supplied by CPW, to parks that don't already have the equipment on hand.
“Reducing unnecessary light pollution saves energy, enhances stargazing tourism, and protects Colorado's breathtaking night skies for everyone," Gov. Polis said in the Wednesday press release. "This new collaboration with DarkSky Colorado will help keep our star-filled skies clear for future generations of Coloradans and tourists to enjoy comets, constellations, and meteors."
Participating areas include: Crawford, Eleven Mile, Elkhead Reservoir, Golden Gate Canyon, Highline Lake, John Martin Reservoir, Mueller, Rifle Gap, State Forest, Steamboat Lake, Sweetwater Lake, Staunton, and Trinidad Lake.
The expansion of the Dark Sky Certification Mentor Program to Colorado’s state parks grew out of the CTO’s Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan, which aims to balance quality of life for residents with the tourist experience, all while safeguarding Colorado's natural environment.
“Dark sky preservation is a growing priority statewide, and we’re thrilled to be supporting these state parks in achieving reduced unnecessary light pollution,” said CPW Deputy Director Heather Disney Dugan. “Through this program, participating areas will help lead the way in showing how tourism and environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand.”
You can find more information on the program and view the full list of participants here.
