Earlier this month, the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission adopted a resolution to cut down on excessive light pollution, mostly in outlying, unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County – many of which border the western areas of the Angeles National Forest.

The resolution would create a Rural Outdoor Lighting District, which would aim to conserve energy, curtail light pollution, and promote dark skies for the enjoyment and health of humans and wildlife – all while permitting reasonable uses of outdoor lighting for safety, security, utility and enjoyment as well. So far, the resolution has been supported by numerous local neighborhood associations and no one has come out in opposition.

The resolution goes before the County Board of Supervisors before Christmas, so there’s still a lot of time before it a). becomes law and b). goes into practice, but I’m glad L.A. is even taking baby steps in the direction of Dark Skies. This will help make those overnight stargazing camps even more spectacular, and hey – maybe in a few years we might actually be able to see a few stars in the skies above L.A. Proper, too!

Image by dcysurfer

Tags: Dark Skies, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, night skies, Rural Outdoor Lighting District, stargazing