Pressed to preserve the star-filled night sky, the city of Salida outlined plans this week for a pioneering program to replace street and alley lights with more restrictive light pollution fixtures. The new initiative marks one of the major moves in taming what has become a highly emerging issue regarding both urban and suburban landscapes: superfluous artificial lighting that clouds starlight and interferes with local ecosystems. 

While Salida is relatively new at this, the city of Poncha Springs has been one of the forerunners in the fight against light pollution. Continuous efforts transformed the nightscape of the town and inspired its neighbors, including Salida, to follow its lead. Salida’s undertaking will replace old streetlights and public lighting with fixture designs that cast a light downward and reduce glare. Put differently, new lighting shines straight down with inset LED bulbs designed to project light without exposing the bulb itself, a novel design in keeping the ground well lit while the sky remains dark.

These types of fixtures also have designs to eliminate light pollution. “The design on the lights helps direct light specifically downward,” said Lance Hostetter, the manager for Poncha Springs. “So, light projection doesn’t go out or up which keeps the sky dark and the ground lit. For many years, Poncha Springs has been at the forefront of such efforts. In 2018, it was among the first of such ambitious light pollution ordinances in the region, placing into law requirements for shielded, low-intensity lighting for all new developments and encouraging the retrofitting of existing lights with dark-sky-compliant fixtures.

“We’ve seen a dramatic improvement in the visibility of the stars,” said Lance. Residents agree, citing the ability to enjoy nature, including dark skies and starry nights, as a significant benefit. 

However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. “This project was done during COVID, so there were challenges getting materials on time,” said Hostetter “Because these are specialized lights, there are special repair needs related to the controllers and batteries. So, maintenance is slightly more challenging.”

Payoff, despite the tussles, has been huge: darker skies have turned it into a spot to which people come to gaze. Not all of the reasons for reducing light pollution in Salida and Poncha Springs are aesthetic. Prolonged artificial lighting has been known to disturb nocturnal wildlife, interfere with natural behavior among birds and insects, and cause sleep disturbances linked to increased risks of certain diseases in human health.

Besides, light pollution is extremely power-consuming and contributes to emitting greenhouse gases. In their own small way, cities that adopt efficient lighting contribute to combating climate change.

Salida’s lighting project was announced and received quite broad support from the residents. “We have heard from residents that they appreciate the reduction of light pollution,” Hostetter. Many are very thrilled in Salida about probably once again seeing stars from their backyards. As Salida enters this next phase, the town will become a model for other communities who wish to lighten their touch on the planet. Taking the cue from Poncha Springs, Salida illustrates the idea that even the smallest of towns can make sense of change.

Combined, they would help give the night sky back to its former glory while allowing the residents to reconnect with nature.