New IDA - IES Outdoor Lighting Policy Guidance: Comprehensive Decision Making = Better Outcomes

The International Dark-Sky Association's Board of Directors recently passed a resolution aimed at a chronic problem: lighting decisions (particularly LED streetlight conversions) typically ignore most facets of quality lighting and continue to increase glare, light trespass, and skyglow.  IDA asserts that the interplay of five key principles "must be considered in the design, installation, and use of outdoor lighting, and that treating the principles in isolation from one another is insufficient to address the glowing global problem of light pollution".  

The Values-Centered Outdoor Lighting policy frames Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting, which address whether lighting is justified and which ensure that it is targeted and shielded, that it is of an appropriate illumination level, that it employs adaptive controls, and that it is not too blue in color. Implementation of the five principles is more fully discussed here and you can also read the original resolution. 

This initiative is a collaboration of IDA and the Illuminating Engineering Society, which sets standards and recommendations for outdoor lighting.  Virginia IDA encourages citizens to use these resources in educating elected officials, local planners, and other decision-makers.  We deserve less glare, less light trespass, and less polluted night skies! Quality lighting exists with an ever-expanding market--we need to insist on it. 

Virginia Adds Two More Dark Sky Parks

 Two Virginia state parks---Sky Meadows in the northern Piedmont and Natural Bridge in the central Shenandoah Valley--recently received IDA designation as Dark Sky Parks.  Virginia is now home to a total of five Dark Sky Parks (Staunton River State Park, James River State Park, and Rappahannock County Park are the first three). 

You can read the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's press release here. 

The Roanoke Times ran a story  as did The Fauquier Times. 

You can find IDA's press release on the IDA website. 

A Dark Sky Park designation does not imply that the skies over that location are pristinely dark. In fact, both these parks are in regions where development, and light pollution, have dramatically increased and spread in the past few decades.  Rather the designation indicates relatively dark skies that meet a minimum standard for night sky observation and reflects the park's dedication to protecting the park's nocturnal environment.  

Learn more by visiting IDA's Dark Sky Places conservation program. 

Rappahannock County's Night Sky Conservation Initiative Steady and Strong

Rappahannock County is home to one of Virginia's three IDA-designated Dark-Sky Parks (believed to be the smallest by size) and its biggest voluntary night sky conservation community efforts.

This update appeared in the January 7, 2021 issue of  Rappahannock News: 

Pole light replacement

The Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection (RLEP) launched its free pole light replacement program in February 2018 as part of its Saving Dark Skies initiative to reduce the amount of light pollution in Rappahannock County. 

Since then, educates the league’s Torney Van Acker, RLEP has been involved in replacing over 230 unshielded lights with dark sky compliant lights at residences, businesses, churches, schools, the library, fire halls and public areas. 

The generous support of the Piedmont Environmental Council's Krebser Fund for Rappahannock County and other donors allows these replacements to be offered to county property owners free of charge.

“In 2021, you can still do your part to protect our night sky while ensuring sufficient lighting for safety and security,” writes Van Acker. “The replacement fixtures focus the light downward on targeted areas while saving energy and money. Our replacement fixtures use 60% less power and have a longer design life than traditional lighting. All replacement lights are installed by qualified electricians at no charge to the property owner.”

The voluntary program is available at no cost whether the pole light is leased from Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) or is privately-owned. If you have an older style leased light, call REC at 540-727-2168 and request the free replacement with a dark sky compliant model. If you have a privately-owned light to replace, contact RLEP at 703-250-7943.

Comprehensive Plans for Two Virginia Localities Now Include Night Sky Conservation

In the past year and a half, the City of Staunton in the central Shenandoah Valley and Rappahannock County in the northern Blue Ridge and Piedmont both included language acknowledging the importance of curbing light pollution in their updated Comprehensive Plans. 

Staunton's Comprehensive Plan  includes references to dark skies and community friendly lighting standards. 

Rappahannock's Comprehensive Plan--just adopted on December 7, 2020--notes the value of the county's night skies as a natural resource.

Both documents are searchable using the CTRL+F function.  You can go directly to pages 62 and 86 of Rappahannock's plan.  In Staunton's Goals and Objectives, see pages 1-1, 1-2, and 1-9.