Elected officials in Breckenridge and Frisco are answering a call from a group of passionate locals who have been pushing for local municipalities to seek DarkSky certification. In showing interest, the towns join an international effort geared toward reducing light pollution for the sake of environmental and human health, advocates say.
While Breckenridge already embarked on the process and plans to implement new exterior-light related policies this summer, Frisco is making significant headway on starting an initiative of their own after officials showed interest in 2024.
At the start of August, Frisco staff members received confirmation the town was eligible to participate in the DarkSky International community application process. In November, the town was notified it was selected for the Colorado Dark Sky Certification program through the Colorado Tourism Office, which Breckenridge also previously participated in.
Local DarkSky Colorado mentor Mark Laurin, who was assigned to the town through the state program, walked Frisco Town Council through what the process will entail for them at a Jan. 28 meeting. He will be helping push the town forward in the process over the next six months.
Laurin said a beneficial next step for Frisco is assembling a steering committee tasked with doing the necessary legwork to prep the town for certification. Certification relies on proven DarkSky compliance, which largely involves redirecting light downward and using certain hues and brightness to minimize its impact.
Mayor Rick Ihnken said, from a community standpoint, many residents seem on board, but he wondered what could be done to encourage entities and businesses in unincorporated Frisco to get into compliance, too.
"When a community becomes certified as a DarkSky community, those surrounding areas take notice of it and they want to see what they (can do) to contribute," Laurin said, noting people often want to participate in these sorts of initiatives once they understand them. He said it will be important to talk with organizations like the St. Anthony Summit Hospital or the school district and provide examples of how they can be compliant.
Laurin said he had been working with Copper Mountain to encourage them to pursue becoming a DarkSky certified lodging location. Copper Mountain representatives confirmed, while the resort has not formally submitted an application or started any sort of DarkSky process, "it's something (the resort is) aware of and open to exploring."
Breckenridge officials were also updated Jan. 28 on the town's ongoing efforts to get DarkSky certified, including a revamped exterior light policy rolling out in July.
A common misconception with DarkSky practices is they require all lights to be shut off at night. The town's Assistant Community Development Director Julia Puester said this is not the case and the effort is more about purposefully using light and directing exterior lights downward.
In July, the town will begin requiring people use shield inserts for exterior lights if they would like to keep them on at night. There will also be mandates related to maximum wattage for outdoor light bulbs. Puester said both residences and businesses in town limits will be subject to the regulations. More specifics on the changes coming in July can be found at Breckupdate.my.canva.site/dark-sky-exterior-lighting.
Council member Steve Gerard voiced appreciation for how town staff members proposed going about the upcoming policy change by making it more feasible to comply with.
"I like that you (focused) so much on retrofit versus replace. To me, that is key," he said, noting retrofitting exterior light fixtures to be DarkSky compliant is far more cost effective than replacing light fixtures, and many people don't realize that.
Puester said shield inserts are more affordable than people think and the town plans to get messaging out there about where they can be found. She said when it comes to enforcement, the town plans on using an escalating fee scale for violations.
Breckenridge already submitted their application for DarkSky certification. Puester said staff members are now in the process of working through feedback given to them by DarkSky International. According to a staff memo presented during the Frisco Town Council meeting, the town plans to submit their own application by 2026. Frisco has not yet introduced any new regulations related to DarkSky, but will likely have to in order to become fully certified.
DarkSky International has over 70 chapters throughout the world. Its western Colorado chapter has seen Summit County representation including Blue River resident Martie Semmer, who has served as regional coordinator, and Laurin, who serves as a mentor.
The organization has certifications for communities, reserves and sanctuaries, park and lodging spots and encourages practices geared toward night sky conservancy and light pollution. It seeks to push people to restrict the amount of upward-directed light, avoid light with glare, using lighting controls like dimming and use bulbs
Other certified communities in Colorado include Ridgway, Naturita and Crestone.
A pillar of the dark sky movement, advocates say, is the improvements it can provide for human health. The organization highlights research on the synchronicity of humans' circadian rhythm and the light-dark cycle of nature which occur as a result of how humans evolved. The International Dark Sky Association said research shows artificial light disrupts circadian rhythms and tampers with sleep patterns.
Aside from human impact, the dark sky movement also looks to educate people on artificial light's impact on wildlife. The organization looks to draw attention to the fact that many species are nocturnal and rely on natural light at night. It particularly affects birds, which often hunt at night, and species living in wetland habitats whose ability to reproduce can decrease because of light pollution.
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