The Virginia Pilot recently ran the following article on a pilot streetlighting project in Nags Head, North Carolina. Without knowing more about the selected lights beyond that they are "amber LEDs" or the details of the town's lighting regulations, we cannot say for sure that they are dark sky compliant or align with the IES/IDA Values Centered Lighting Policy. But it still is an encouraging example of decision-makers engaging on lighting issues.
(The Virginia Pilot is subscription-based but a subscriber provided the following copy):
By Kari Pugh Correspondent
A pilot light project of Dominion
Energy and the town of Nags Head aims to make Outer Banks beaches more friendly
to sea turtle hatchlings.
In late November, Dominion crews
began installing amber LED lighting at town beach accesses following a review
of town lighting regulations at the request of the Nags Head Board of
Commissioners.
“There was general concern about
outdoor lighting [and] protecting sea turtles,” Nags Head Mayor Ben Cahoon
said. “[Our] staff was looking at all those issues, and this emerged.
“All environmental issues, including
lighting, are really [a] high priority for our town and our board. So once we
became aware of the possibility, the board was able to give direction and say,
‘Yes, we want to explore this.’ ”
Outer Banks beaches from the
Virginia-North Carolina line to Nags Head usually see about 30 turtle nests
each season, with each containing about 100 eggs.
Hatchlings will move toward any
light once they’re above ground, which means they can head the wrong way toward
hotels, homes and streets instead of the ocean.
“The thinking is the moon, stars,
the downward slope of the beach are all factors,” said John CeCe, president of
the Outer Banks Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, known as N.E.S.T.
“Light is an important factor for
them to get into the water. This is a great first step for us.”
Accesses with new turtle-friendly
lights include Gulf Stream, Gallery Row, Abalone, Blackman, Bladen, Curlew and
East Tides Drive.
The power company and town are
testing a few types of lights before choosing the best for the rest of the
town’s 42 public beach accesses, said David Elliot, a Dominion technical
engineering consultant.
Chief town planner Holly White said
the officials were already looking at light trespass, glare and “just a general
concern about lighting” when Dominion approached the town about the specialty
lights.
https://digitaledition.pilotonline.com/html5/desktop/production/default.a..
The town has historically been very committed to a dark night sky,” White said. “This will be beneficial not just for humans but for nesting turtles and birds.”
Kari Pugh, karipugh@icloud.com
