(meteorobs) Stargazing at State/National Parks out west

[Bruce McCurdy]

Gregg Lobdell wrote:

> There is a problem with parks, National or State.  They are  government 
> departments and therefore very SAFETY conscious.  That  means many open 
> areas will have lighting, Ugh!

    Here in Canada we have been achieving a measure of success having some 
of our national and provincial parks declared as Dark Sky Preserves. We have 
found parks personnel to be willing, indeed enthusiastic partners, as their 
mandate is more overtly environmental in nature even than that of us 
"naturalists of the night". Their hearts are in the right place, they want 
to do the right thing, and to be seen doing it. And turning off the lights 
is hardly an expensive fix. Neither is turning them down, or shielding them 
to those areas of the ground where they are legitimately needed.

    It's a winnable argument. Not only is it cost-effective, a natural 
nocturnal environment is good for the birds and wildlife, and good 
environmental practices in general are good for tourism.

   And to bring *this* thread back on-topic, I have done the lion's share of 
my own meteor observing from the recently-declared Beaver Hills Dark Sky 
Preserve, a 293-sq. km. expanse which contains both scenic Elk Island 
National Park and the Cooking-Lake Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area. 
Canada's sixth DSP is a partnership between the Royal Astronomical Society 
of Canada, Parks Canada, and Alberta Parks & Protected Areas. Nice for us 
RASCals to have our observing site protected in perpetuity. And to our 
delight, both of our partners, federal and provincial, have taken steps to 
introduce astronomy and light pollution awareness into their public and 
school programming in the wake of their park's new status as a DSP.

    Bruce
    *****