A dozen Colorado state parks are aiming to tamp down light pollution and make it easier for stargazers to check out the night skies with support from a new dark sky program.
The Colorado State Parks Dark Sky Certification Mentor Program, announced Wednesday, is spearheaded by the Colorado Tourism Office in collaboration with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Participating parks will receive free consulting from the nonprofit DarkSky Colorado in order to help gain International Dark Sky Place certification.
“Reducing unnecessary light pollution saves energy, enhances stargazing tourism, and protects Colorado's breathtaking night skies for everyone,” said Gov. Jared Polis. “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.”
Officials said they hope to encourage visitation to rural communities, provide educational opportunities and promote off-peak-season travel.
“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 Heather Disney Dugan, CPW’s Deputy Director. “Through this program, participating areas will help lead the way in showing how tourism and environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand.”
Officials with the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, which houses the tourism office, said it may take the state parks one to three years to complete the process and application for this international certification, depending on the size and staffing capacity of the park.
The state program will include education programs for visitors. It will also assist in creating sky quality monitoring programs that measure the amount of artificial light and changes in sky brightness over time, officials said. This data will be used as part of the application for International Dark Sky designation which recognizes places working to protect the starry night sky views.
These are the 12 state parks working with DarkSky Colorado:
- Crawford State Park
- Eleven Mile State Park
- Elkhead Reservoir State Park
- Golden Gate Canyon State Park
- Highline Lake State Park
- John Martin Reservoir State Park
- Mueller State Park
- Rifle Gap State Park
- State Forest State Park
- Steamboat Lake State Park
- Staunton State Park
- Trinidad Lake State Park
Additionally, Sweetwater Lake, managed by the U.S. Forest Service in Western Colorado, is also participating in the program.
