Dark Sky Parks: public policy that turns off the lights

Abstract

Dark skies are culturally, ecologically, and economically valuable natural resources but little has been written on how dark sky conservation is being enacted through environmental policy and legislation. Using the Multiple Streams Framework and qualitative data from over 300 policy documents, we characterize the problems, policy solutions, and politics around protecting night sky resources. We find that the core public policy problem of diminishing night skies is perceived by stakeholders to be light pollution produced from surrounding urban development. To address this problem, decision-makers enact policy solutions of creating Dark Sky Parks on protected landscapes with rigorous and scientific processes. These technical ideas for creating Dark Sky Parks are transmitted to decision-makers at park and landscape scales. Dark sky conservation is a political process as well, which attracts bipartisan support from policy-makers from different political parties due to the economic potential of astrotourism. Our work has general applications for the role of managers and NGOs in creating science policy, engaging the public, and enacting policy change, as was seen in the context of the International Dark Sky Association providing resources, technical information, and support for managers and other stakeholders to encourage actions at various scales to protect rapidly-disappearing dark skies.