Barger motion promotes natural darkness group
Supervisor Kathryn Barger introduced a motion during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting to recognize a newly established nonprofit organization, DarkSky LA County, for their local work to preserve natural darkness and diminish the impact of artificial light locally.
“Dark Sky LA County’s commitment to protecting our nighttime skies is a noble cause that can help millions of people in our County access, appreciate, and enjoy the beauty of our dark night sky,” she said. “Light pollution is growing and we need to make a deliberate effort to preserve natural darkness. Dark Sky LA County is our local steward of the night sky and I wholeheartedly appreciate their work.”
The supervisors’ recognition comes on the heels of the end of International Dark Sky Week 2024, which wrapped up on Monday — the day a solar eclipse crossed North America. UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability also recently shared highlights of a new research report titled “The World at Night” that explores the harm light pollution has on human and animal health and behavior. According to the report, excess light is increasing globally by approximately 10% per year.
The county’s website, darkskylacounty.org, provides practical tips and guidance about how to protect the visibility of the night sky. It also features a mini documentary produced by Los Angeles County on preserving dark skies in the county.
The county’s work to preserve night sky visibility is spearheaded by the Department of Regional Planning. Barger supports of Los Angeles County’s Rural Outdoor Lighting District, a supplemental district for the rural areas of the County created to promote and maintain dark skies. The district, administered by Regional Planning, includes the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys.
The district’s best advised practices include turning off household exterior lights by 10 p.m. unless controlled by a motion sensor and being intentional about using only the amount of light that is needed.