‘A starry refuge’: Oregon Outback named world’s largest dark sky sanctuary
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Oregon Outback has been named the largest international dark sky sanctuary, spanning millions of acres of land to protect wildlife from light pollution, DarkSky International announced Monday.
The designation is part of a two-phase project by the Oregon Outback Dark Sky Network to create an International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
The first phase, in Lake County, received the sanctuary certification from DarkSky International — an organization that aims to combat light pollution around the world and partners with other organizations including the National Park Service, the National Science Foundation, and the United Nations.
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Phase one encompasses 2.5 million acres of land in Lake County, in southeastern Oregon — including Summer Lake, the Hart Mountain National Antelope refuge, and a portion of the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The certified area is about half the size of New Jersey, according to DarkSky International.
In order to gain the certification, federal, state, and local officials negotiated project boundaries, created a joint Lighting Management Plan, decommissioned 14 lights, and retrofitted 60 lights on public and private land.
The certification will help protect wildlife from light pollution as artificial lights can disrupt sleep, protection from predators, nourishment, and reproduction, according to DarkSky International.
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The organization says artificial lights can also harm human health by increasing the risk of obesity, depression, sleep disorders, diabetes and breast cancer.
Phase two of the project includes parts of Harney and Malheur counties, which needs a few lighting retrofits and local approval.
The Oregon Outback is in the largest, contiguous dark sky zone in the lower 48 United States, according to the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute. Once the project is complete, the full Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary will cover 11.4 million acres of protected night sky.
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Officials are hopeful the project will not only help protect wildlife but also draw in tourists.
“As the population of Oregon and the trend of light pollution continue to rise, the unparalleled scale and quality of the Outback’s dark skies will long serve as a starry refuge for people and wildlife alike. Adherence to the [Lighting Management Plan] will allow this large expanse of land to serve as a demonstration site of sustainable lighting principles not only within southeastern Oregon but possibly the Pacific Northwest Region,” said DarkSky Delegate Dawn Nilson.
Executive Director of Travel Southern Oregon, Bob Hackett, added, “This four-year collaboration brings together so many of the elements we try to achieve in regenerative tourism. It not only elevates the destination experience for visitors to Lake County and opens up opportunities for local businesses, but it also helps agencies and residents steward their lands in ways that celebrate a legacy of starry night skies for generations to come.”
DarkSky International says there are over 200 dark sky locations around the world from Aenos National Park in Greece, and Spain’s Albanyà, to South Africa’s !Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park.
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