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Your Path to Dark Sky Designation:

Benefits, Feasibility, & Steps

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Your Path to Dark Sky Designation

John Barentine

​

Dark Sky Consulting, LLC

Benefits, Feasibility, and Steps

UOT Tourism Business Development Workshop

August 12, 2025

Ethan Tweedie

Tom Dansie

​

Town of Springdale, Utah

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Outline

1. Nighttime darkness as a resource

2. What a dark-sky designation is

3. Designation benefits

4. Program requirements

5. Steps to apply

6. After the designation

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Outline

1. Nighttime darkness as a resource

2. What a dark-sky designation is

3. Designation benefits

4. Program requirements

5. Steps to apply

6. After the designation

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Nighttime darkness as a resource

Astronomy

Wildlife

Tourism

Travel Texas

DarkSky International

Country Living

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Fig. 2, Falchi et al. (Science Advances, 2016)

Humanity is rapidly losing the night

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In some places, natural nighttime darkness is already lost...

(...but it can be regained!)

NPS

2015

2024

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Outline

1. Nighttime darkness as a resource

2. What a dark-sky designation is

3. Designation benefits

4. Program requirements

5. Steps to apply

6. After the designation

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https://darksky.org/idsp/

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IDSP program goals

Preserve darkness where it remains

Roll back losses where possible

Reward effort, not just darkness

Foster a sense of community among places

Engage the public

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  • Sustainable outdoor lighting practices
  • Broad community support for dark skies
  • Education and public outreach

Commitment to:

What defines a dark sky place

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Designation typology

Built Environment

Parks

Reserves

Sanctuaries

Communities

Urban Night Sky Places

Conservation

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Outline

1. Nighttime darkness as a resource

2. What a dark-sky designation is

3. Designation benefits

4. Program requirements

5. Steps to apply

6. After the designation

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Benefits of dark-sky designations

International recognition

Brand affiliation with DarkSky

Sustainable tourism development

Outdoor lighting improvements

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Economic development potential

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Economic development potential

Tourism Review, 74(4), 930–942 (2019)

“The authors find that non-local tourists who value dark skies will spend $5.8 billion over the next 10 years in the Colorado Plateau. These tourist expenditures will generate $2.4 billion in higher wages and create over 10,000 additional jobs each year for the region.”

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Outline

1. Nighttime darkness as a resource

2. What a dark-sky designation is

3. Designation benefits

4. Program requirements

5. Steps to apply

6. After the designation

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Published program guidelines

https://darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places/apply/

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Common application elements

Consent of the place to be nominated

Formal nomination letter

Formal letter of nomination from a DarkSky member

Written outdoor lighting policy with acceptable standards

Inventory of publicly owned (or park-owned) lighting

Outdoor lighting inventory

Plan to achieve 100% compliance with lighting policy

Education and public outreach

Expressions of “broad community support”

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Outline

1. Nighttime darkness as a resource

2. What a dark-sky designation is

3. Designation benefits

4. Program requirements

5. Steps to apply

6. After the designation

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Choosing the right category

Flow chart

  • Park-like, or city-like?
  • Is the sky dark there now?
  • How much territory?

Considerations include:

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Steps in the process

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Initial enquiry

Eligibility assessment

Nomination

preparation

Formal review

Announcement

Ongoing maintenance

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Outline

1. Nighttime darkness as a resource

2. What a dark-sky designation is

3. Designation benefits

4. Program requirements

5. Steps to apply

6. After the designation

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After the designation

IDSPs are entitled to use DarkSky International branding in their marketing

IDSPs owe DarkSky International annual reports on their activities

There is no formal recertification process

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Springdale, Utah

Dark Sky Community

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Dark Sky History in Springdale

  • Approx. 300: Virgin River Puebloans inhabit regions near Springdale - skies are very dark
  • Approx. 1300: Southern Paiute inhabit the area - skies still very dark
  • 1863: First white settlers build homes in Springdale - skies remain very dark
  • Approx. 1920: Electricity arrives in Springdale, outdoor lighting installed on buildings - skies become a little less dark
  • 1930 to 1990: Tourism to Zion National Park increases, more buildings built, more outdoor lighting installed - skies become even less dark
  • 1992: Town adopts new zoning ordinance which contains a general statement requiring down directed lighting - skies start to become dark again
  • 2009: First comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance, requires non-compliant lighting to be changed after seven years - skies get even darker
  • 2012 - 2021: Continual revisions and adjustments to the ordinance as both lighting technology evolved (LEDs) and Town’s experience and ability to enforce the ordinance increased - skies dark, but threatened
  • 2023: Dark Sky community designation

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Why Certification?

  • Demonstrate and confirm community commitment to dark sky preservation
  • Be an example to regional partners and entities
  • Guide tourism

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Demonstrate Community Commitment

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Be An Example

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Guide Tourism

  • What are your tourism goals?
  • Astrotourism can help!

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Lessons Learned

  • Build community understanding and support
  • Design your program based on your community’s capacity
    • Enforcement / Administrative Resources
    • Political Capital
  • Grow your program as capacity increases
  • Emphasize positives, allay negatives

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Questions?

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