Eighty percent of the world’s population, and 99 percent of Americans and Europeans, live with some amount of light pollution. This excessive artificial nighttime light adversely affects the health and behavior of humans and other animals. It obscures views of the vast and starry nighttime sky. It wastes precious electricity from all sources and increases use of fossil fuels.

Nighttime light attracts or repels animals affecting their feeding, predatory, and breeding behaviors. Its glow causes a loss of safe habitat. Birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians and mammals are all affected. In our community, abundant wildlife and the nighttime visual environment are cherished parts of residents’ daily lives and visitors’ unique experiences. Several years ago Park City and Summit County leaders committed to lowering our energy footprint. To preserve dark skies, they also adopted ordinances into existing codes which require all businesses and residents, not only new construction, to reduce their artificial light pollution with a compliance deadline set for Dec. 31, 2024.

DarkSky International, established in 1988, led the movement to reduce light pollution globally. Dark sky requirements seek to reduce glare and light spillage. In order to do this, Summit County and Park City require the use of downward-pointing, fully-shielded outdoor light fixtures. These target light rather than flood an area wastefully and obtrusively with it. Warm whites or amber bulbs of 3,000K or less are also required. Motion sensors, timers and dimmers are recommended to increase efficiency.

Regarding outdoor seasonal displays, residential lights are permitted from November 1 to March 1, and must be turned off by 11 pm. City and County staff have found no grants currently available offering rebates for dark sky-friendly lighting. They continue to focus on educating the public about the nighttime lighting ordinances and dark sky-friendly products and practices. Enforcement of the ordinances begins with residents’ education, on a complaint basis.

There are differences between the Snyderville Basin, Eastern Summit County and Park

City codes. To learn more about their dark sky ordinances, visit summitcountyutah.gov/2474/Dark-Skies and engageparkcity.org/dark-sky

By Bev Harrison