"On clear nights in northern Door County, the Milky Way still splashes across the sky – a view that’s growing measurably fainter, pushing Newport State Park closer to the edge of losing its rare, certified darkness".

WE MUST MAKE SURE NEWPORT STATE PARK KEEPS ITS DARK SKY DESIGNATION.
DOOR COUNTY, PLEASE ADOPT A DARK SKY PROTECTION ORDINANCE.

Motivated by concern for Newport State Park's rare designation as a Dark Sky Park, the town of Liberty Grove just passed a​ resolution to preserve dark skies. Now it is time for Door County to do the same.

Newport State Park's Dark Sky designation isn't just a title, it’s something far more valuable.

This honorable status impacts:

• Quality of life
• Property value
• Local economy
• Tourism
• Local & Migrating Wildlife

Right now, all of that is at risk.
It's all about the lumens; And county wide lighting standards.

Lighting as far away as 18 miles can have an impact on an individual town's night sky viewing and enjoyment.
Bright LED lights from neighboring towns are spilling into surrounding areas and we are already losing visibility of the stars that make Door County so special.
At the same time, we risk losing something bigger:
 ***A multi million dollar growing tourism economy that brings visitors, supports local businesses, and puts Door County on the map for Astrotourism & Astrophotography.***
If we don’t act, we risk losing all of it.
This is our sky. Our community. And thus, our responsibility.

KEEP DOOR COUNTY'S SKIES DARK!

By signing, we are asking that Door County:

• Developing guidelines for outdoor lighting to help ensure that new construction and renovations align with responsible lighting practices to maintain dark skies while still providing illumination for safety and security.
• Convert current excessive lumen lighting to DarkSky-friendly products as part of a commitment to model best practices and reduce unnecessary light pollution.
• Further explore additional county-wide approaches to responsible lighting, including potential additional ordinances and collaborative efforts with neighboring municipalities to protect Door County’s shared night sky.