Supervisor Kathryn Barger successfully introduced a motion during this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting to recognize a newly established non-profit 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,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “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 Board of Supervisors’ recognition comes on the heels of the end of International Dark Sky Week 2024, which wrapped up on April 8, 2024–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. The report identifies strategies to minimize artificial lights which shine upward, brighten the night sky, and obscure stars and other objects in the sky. According to the report, excess light is increasing globally by approximately 10% per year.
The Dark Sky LA County 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 L.A. County.
Los Angeles County’s work to preserve night sky visibility is spearheaded by the Department of Regional Planning (DRP). Supervisor Barger is a strong supporter of Los Angeles County’s Rural Outdoor Lighting District (ROLD), a supplemental district for the rural areas of the County created to promote and maintain dark skies. ROLD is administered by DRP.
Ordinances relevant to ROLD can be viewed here. ROLD best practices include turning off household exterior lights by 10:00 p.m. unless controlled by a motion sensor and being intentional about using only the amount of light that is needed. DRP offers a free educational brochure on ROLD in English, Spanish, and Chinese.