Anyone who has ever ventured to western Marin County on a cloudless night knows the skies are ablaze with constellations of stars.
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Unlike much of the Bay Area, the skies above the Point Reyes National Seashore and nearby towns suffer from very little light pollution.
Now the western Marin community and the National Park Service have teamed up in an effort preserve their starry nights by applying to become only the second "Dark Sky Reserve" in the U.S.
A Dark Sky Reserve is defined as a "public or private land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural, heritage and/or public enjoyment."
The only piece of land in the U.S. to carry that designation is Central Idaho.
"With the change to LED lighting, lighting is beginning to grow in our town and what we want is to do is preserve what we have," Don Jolly, an amateur astronomer and retired teacher who has lived in West Marin for 50 years, told KCBS Radio.
Jolly is one of several area residents pushing for West Marin to be designated a Dark Sky Reserve.
"Look, we all look at the sky and it's beautiful, we know that," he explained. "But something happens when you become acquainted with the sky."
However, much of the Bay Area can’t become acquainted because of the increase of light pollution which obscures people's view of the sky.
For example, Matthew Santo is from San Jose and currently manages a restaurant in Olema.
"West Marin is a very beautiful place and in San Jose we don't see that, it’s too much light pollution," he told KCBS Radio. "We don’t have that connection with nature anymore."
"Here in West Marin, it’s entirely different. I go for my evening walks, I see beautiful things and I’m captivated by what I’m missing in my daily life."
Laura Art is one of two women spearheading the dark sky initiative. She said it can take "a few years" to move forward in the application process because there are a lot of steps to be certified.
First, West Marin will have to dial back what lighting exists.
"When you have the choice when you're buying a light for your fixture outside and it says spotlight versus a light that’s shielded like barnlight, it's great if people could just go 'oh yeah i should just get the barnlight.' It's kind of like paper or plastic," she explained to KCBS Radio.
Art said a dark sky designation could make West Marin a global stargazing destination.
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