The Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation, in partnership with Travel Nevada, has launched the Nevada Dark Skies Toolkit, a new resource aimed at helping communities, land managers, and organizations reduce light pollution and support the development of astro-tourism throughout the state.
The toolkit is designed to assist a wide range of groups, including schools, municipalities, unincorporated communities, parks and open spaces, tribal governments, businesses, and homeowners associations.
The toolkit offers step-by-step instructions on applying for the Nevada Starry Skies Certification and includes best practices for outdoor lighting based on the Five Principles of Responsible Outdoor Lighting.
Additional materials in the toolkit include an overview of the importance of dark skies, information about the “Save Starry Skies” license plate, suggestions for dark sky tourism and destination development, and outreach ideas to engage schools, residents, and businesses.
“Nevada’s darkest skies are home to its brightest lights. In towns like Ely, Tonopah, and Gerlach, light pollution is scarce, and travelers only need to look up to spot entire constellations, the Milky Way, and thousands of stars,” said Rafael Villanueva, CEO of Travel Nevada. “We encourage residents and visitors to get a little out there and enjoy our natural light show.”
Nevada currently has two internationally recognized DarkSky sites: Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary and Great Basin National Park.
The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural resources says with approximately 80% of the state consisting of public land and minimal urban development in many regions, Nevada is well positioned to become a national leader in night sky conservation and astro-tourism.
They say communities such as Pahrump and Boulder City have already begun efforts to reduce light pollution through local ordinances and are working toward DarkSky International designation.
The Nevada Dark Skies Toolkit is available for free download on the Dark Skies page on the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreations' website.
NDOR is also seeking partnerships with eligible groups to pilot the Nevada Starry Skies program during its first year. Any interested parties can contact the program manager at nvstarryskies@ndor.nv.gov.
