1 of 33

DARK SKIES FOR SALEM

Marissa Theve

Grant Neighborhood 97301

2 of 33

Minnesota

Alaska

Arkansas

Oregon

3 of 33

4 of 33

LIGHT POLLUTION

5 of 33

SKY GLOW

6 of 33

LIGHT TRESPASS

7 of 33

GLARE

8 of 33

9 of 33

Why?

Broadly: livability

“The proliferation of excessive artificial light produced by a variety of sources of outdoor lighting has been shown to affect human health in the form of impaired sleep quantity and quality as well as impacts to the human eye. Excessive or overly bright outdoor light is also known to cause glare and reduce the safety of pedestrians and drivers at night. A growing body of research also demonstrates the widespread and deleterious impacts on ecosystems, including predator-prey behavior as well as the foraging, mating, migrating, pollinating, and blooming habits of plants and animals including birds, mammals, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates.”

-Dark Skies: Strategies for Reducing Light Pollution in Portland

​

10 of 33

Why?

Broadly: livability

“The proliferation of excessive artificial light produced by a variety of sources of outdoor lighting has been shown to affect human health in the form of impaired sleep quantity and quality as well as impacts to the human eye. Excessive or overly bright outdoor light is also known to cause glare and reduce the safety of pedestrians and drivers at night. A growing body of research also demonstrates the widespread and deleterious impacts on ecosystems, including predator-prey behavior as well as the foraging, mating, migrating, pollinating, and blooming habits of plants and animals including birds, mammals, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates.”

-Dark Skies: Strategies for Reducing Light Pollution in Portland

​

11 of 33

12 of 33

13 of 33

14 of 33

15 of 33

Bush Pasture Park

5:25PM on a partially sunny Saturday

16 of 33

Downtown

7:38PM on a sunny August Sunday

17 of 33

WHAT ABOUT SAFETY?

18 of 33

Why?

The harms done by stray light beams include:

  • Disrupting bird migration patterns, insects, bats, plants
  • Wasted energy = wasted $ + climate change
  • Light trespass into residential properties which can lead to chronic stress and sleep disorders
  • Reduced safety from glares and shadows
  • Adding to sky glow which robs astronomers of visibility

Salem’s light trespass limit: 5.0 candle feet

My back yard: 1.0

IDA recommends: 0.1

19 of 33

20 of 33

21 of 33

22 of 33

23 of 33

24 of 33

25 of 33

What does Salem do now?

  • We don’t have a lighting engineer (few cities do)

​

  • Our 13,000 streetlights and growing:
    • owned by PGE, maintained by PGE
    • owned by City, maintained by PGE
    • owned by PGE, maintained by City

​

  • Before 2015 maintenance and electricity funded exclusively by state gas tax ($1.4 million) lights were about 4000 Kelvin

​

  • Now all LEDs and cost is included in water bills; lamps are now 3000 K and cutoff; these are individually dimmable 1-5

​

  • Dark Skies Month Proclamation April 2024

26 of 33

27 of 33

How the City help?

  • City Council approved a staff report request! 11/23/2023
  • Illuminate spaces only where necessary
  • Shield street lamps – could your neighborhood be a pilot?
  • Keep lamps as close to the ground as possible- spacing
  • Use motion sensors or timers
  • Set lights to the lowest useful brightness
  • Ensure warmer color spectrums are used- phase these in street lamps as older LEDs fail
  • Lower the light trespass limit, currently 5 candle feet, to 0.1 candle feet
  • Consider lighting in the Transportation System Plan update

Tucson, AZ lighting ordinance (2012)

28 of 33

  • Home Depot/ car dealership area to the north (Highland/Northgate)

​

  • Downtown (CANDO)

​

  • Fred Meyer and Willamette Town Center (NESCA)

29 of 33

Salem, Oregon

Skyglow Advance

Beyond the City

2013 – 2024

Uplight

nW/cm2/sr

Uplight in 2024

Change of Uplight 2012 – 2024 from Salem

Measured by Satellite in Orbit (VIIRS)

Uplight from within the Salem UGB

Years

28% Increase in Uplight

Skyglow

Contours

at

20.0 mpsas

Green = 2013

Red = 2024

0

5 miles

N

30 of 33

Draft Salem Area Comprehensive Plan May 2022

31 of 33

32 of 33

There are 7 International Dark Sky Place in Oregon (1/2025)

  • Cottonwood Canyon International Dark Sky Park
  • City of Antelope International Dark Sky Community
  • Oregon Caves National Monument International Dark Sky Park
  • Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary
  • Prineville Reservoir International Dark Sky Park
  • Sunriver International Development of Distinction

​

33 of 33

THANKS.