Celebrating the dark times

There are many ways to protect the Methow’s pristine skies

BY JOANNA BASTIAN

The Methow Valley is one of the best places in the country to stargaze. Given our dark pristine night sky we can easily observe the Milky Way, the wispy galactic spiral arms and dust clouds, the tireless travels of the plants, periodic visitations by comets, annual meteor showers, the aurora borealis and more — most with the naked eye.

Unfortunately, these amazing views of the vast universe we live in are increasingly threatened by growing light pollution.

Satellite images show 99% of the United States population are unable to experience a natural night sky. A citizen science program involving more than 50,000 observations from volunteers around the world found the brightness of the night sky increased by about 10% a year in North America for the last decade.

This means that the background brightness doubles in seven short years and washes out a significant number of stars. Left unchecked, in a few years residents of Winthrop and much of the Methow Valley will no longer be able to see the Milky Way. The good news is that by making a few small and affordable changes, home and business owners can reverse light pollution affects in the Methow Valley.

Health And Safety

In addition to preserving our amazing dark skies, there are many other reasons to implement smart lighting practices.

Using smart lighting practices improves everyone’s health. A recent study by WSU Spokane Sleep and Performance Center found nighttime exposure to LED and other blue-spectrum lighting suppresses melatonin and increases risks for diabetes, cancer and a multitude of other chronic conditions. The American Medical Association recommends shielding all outdoor light fixtures and only using warm lights with Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) of 3,000K or less.

Artificial light at night, especially blue lights, is not only harmful to human health and safety, but also harms wildlife. Bright lights disrupt bird migration patterns, and the feeding and mating cycles of insects, bats, fish and salamanders. Bright lights interrupt the predator/prey relationship, creating an imbalance in the ecosystem. Owls will go elsewhere if an area is overly lit at night.

“If we want to see animal life during the day, we need to control light pollution at night,” said Kyrie Jardin, president of the Methow Dark Sky Coalition.

Smart lighting at night reduces energy consumption and costs. Light at night is expensive, and drains economic resources. Satellite images of Earth show light emissions spreading into outer space, wasted to the tune of $3 billion a year in the United States. By using timers, motion sensors, lower wattage and shields, smart home owners can reduce their energy consumption while also reducing light pollution. Safety is a common reason people want outdoor lighting but more lights do not mean more safety. Bright lights on the blue spectrum cause night blindness. A safer choice is to use soft yellow light and only light the areas needed. This is enough to enable someone to continue to see past the light cast.

There is an optimum level of lighting for safety. Dean Kurath, Methow Dark Skies board member and longtime Methow Valley resident, sees bobcats wander near his house in the middle of the day — demonstrating that outdoor night lights are unlikely to deter the bobcat’s route. The only time Kurath experienced a home burglary was when he lived in a brightly lit apartment complex.

For some land areas, the Okanogan County zoning code states that outdoor lighting “shall be directed downward and shielded to minimize potential glare to motorists and off-site residents. No exterior light with a direct source visible from a neighboring property shall be installed. Indirect sources and horizontal cut-off fixtures are recommended to reduce glare and

Recommendations and resources

Here in the Methow Valley, we are among the remaining few who still have a view of the Milky Way on a clear moonless night.

The Methow Dark Sky Coalition urges people to protect our night sky with environmentally responsible lighting by following International Dark-Sky Association guidelines for outdoor lighting:

• Only be on when needed.

• Only light the area that needs it.

• Be no brighter than necessary.

• Minimize blue light emissions.

• Be fully shielded.

By using timers, motion sensors, lower wattage, provide general ambient light.”

In addition, the town of Winthrop implemented an outdoor lighting ordinance in 2021 and most homeowners associations have covenants that address outdoor lighting.

Coalition Formed

To address light pollution in the Methow Valley the Methow Dark Sky Coalition was formed in 2017 with a mission to “To Preserve, and shields, smart home owners can reduce their energy consumption while also reducing light pollution. Be a good neighbor by protecting our dark skies. Here are some valuable resources:

• Methow Dark Sky Coalition, www.methowdarksky.org.

• International Dark-Sky Association, darksky. org.

• Home Lighting Assessment:, https://idsw.darksky.org/activities/dark-sky-friendly-home/https:// idsw.darksky.org/activities/dark-sky-friendly-home.

• Lighting guidelines, fixtures, retailers, www. darksky.org/our-work/lighting.

Enhance, and Promote Dark Skies in the Methow Valley.” The nonprofit organization is based in Winthrop, with President Kyrie Jardin and five officers.

Jardin explains the group’s origins: “It all began about eight years ago when about 200 supporters of a dark sky philosophy became concerned about a proposal to install a rotating spotlight at the Methow Valley state airport. Similarly, about four years ago the Bonneville Power

Administration gifted the local electric co-op multiple LED lights for distribution to the public, and within a week, the Town of Winthrop began receiving multiple complaints about bright lights … Winthrop had no outdoor lighting ordinance. That began an organizational effort to not only limit artificial lighting, but to encourage the appreciation of our amazing night sky view of the cosmos.”

The Methow Dark Sky Coalition follows the recommendations of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) to educate the community on the impacts of artificial light and how to reduce light pollution through smart lighting practices.

Guidelines from the IDA for outdoor lighting are intended for homeowners, designers and contractors planning new construction or a remodel. If a home is located on a ridgeline or hillside, exterior lighting has an outsized impact on the on the valley below. Bright interior lights will cast light pollution through unblinded windows.

Ida Guidelines

• Use light only when needed. Use timers or motion detectors to control how often and what times a light illuminates an area. The shrubberies do not need to be lit up at all hours of the night. The easiest approach is to get in the habit of turning lights off when not in use.

• Only light the area that needs it. Avoid floodlights from a great height or lights that angle outward and instead install smaller lights closer to the ground in areas that need illumination such as walkways, doorways and driveways. Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop uses this practice with beautiful and effective results.

• Be no brighter than necessary. Use the lowest practical wattage. As bulbs need replaced, look for lower wattage and yellow spectrum. These choices will help preserve our dark skies and save money on bulbs and the electric bill.

• Minimize blue light emissions. Blue light brightens the night sky more than any other color of light and is harmful to human health and ecological systems. All bulb packaging provides color temperature information. Look for lights with a warm color temperature of 3,000K or lower.

• Be fully shielded. If a bulb is visible, it creates night blindness and light trespass. Always fully shield outdoor lights to direct light downward. When designing a new home or a remodel, consider recessed lighting.

Winthrop Ace Hardware, Valley Hardware Do It Center and Methow

Valley Lumber in Twisp stock dark sky friendly light fixtures and lights. Local businesses and will special order items if requested. The IDA website provides information on the dark sky fixture seal of approval program and dark sky retailers and provides information on over 1,000 dark sky friendly lighting fixtures for residential and business applications, https://www. darksky.org/our-work/lighting. Be a good neighbor and a smart home owner by implementing small choices to protect our dark skies and the environment, while reducing energy consumption and light pollution.

Additional information on lighting and dark skies can be found at Methow Dark Sky, methowdarksky. org, and the IDA, darksky.org. Contact the local Methow Dark Sky group at https://www.methowdarksky.org/contact for more information on dark skies and technical assistance with lighting.

This article includes contributions from Dean Kurath, Methow Dark Sky Coalition.