Lincoln City Moving Forward with Dark Skies Initiative

By Brian Bahouth

According to the New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, more than 80 percent of the planet and 99 percent of U.S. and European populations live under light-polluted skies. The Milky Way is hidden from more than one-third of humanity, including 60 percent of Europeans and nearly 80 percent of North Americans, according to the atlas.

The crisp night sky as seen from the largely dark Oregon coast is a valuable part of the region’s rare natural allure. But urban areas and other development on the coast come with outdoor lights that can dim the night sky. 

At the end of 2024, the Lincoln City City Council directed staff to investigate ways to reduce light trespass and light pollution in Lincoln City, especially light that spills onto beaches. 

The City Manager directed Explore Lincoln City to consider Dark Sky Community certification as a tourism opportunity. 

Explore Lincoln City is the tourism department of the City of Lincoln City and the official Destination Management Organization for the Lincoln City area. The transient room tax funds the office.

On September 18, Kim Cooper Findling, director of Explore Lincoln City, provided the Lincoln City City Council with an update on the city’s Dark Sky Initiative.

If Lincoln City were to win Dark Sky certification, it would join a very short list of 6 dark sky areas in the state: Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary, Oregon Caves National Monument, City of Antelope, City of Sisters, Prineville Reservoir State Park, and Cottonwood Canyon. 

Explore Lincoln City contracted with the Travel Oregon dark skies consultant to guide Dark Sky Certification Phase One—a feasibility study to include public engagement, a lighting inventory and audit, and light monitoring. 

A lighting inventory of Lincoln City was conducted this summer. Organizers discovered that commercial and institutional lighting are the greatest contributors to the city’s light pollution. 

During this summer’s light inventory, the city found some 200 street lights with broken or missing shields.

The greatest light trespass concerns are in commercial areas where there are overly bright and excessive lights, unshielded lights, and internally lit signage with light trespass onto beaches, open spaces, and waterways. 

Explore Lincoln City concluded that significant education and support from the business community would be necessary to gain certification. 

To achieve Dark Sky certification a community must:

• Demonstrate exceptional night sky quality by implementing a robust outdoor lighting ordinance with minimal light pollution
• Conduct sky quality measurements to document darkness
• Actively engage in public outreach and education about light pollution
• Show strong community support for dark sky preservation
• Adhere to the standards set by the International Dark Sky Association through their International Dark Sky Places program

Stephanie Hull is the event and outreach coordinator for Explore Lincoln City. She was pleased to learn from this summer’s light inventory that the city already has dark-sky-friendly codes for both commercial and residential outdoor lighting, but more needs to be done, and the city needs to communicate with residents. 

“I think that there are some misconceptions out there,” Hull said by phone. “Being dark sky friendly or dark sky certified is not about taking away lights. Of course we want people to be safe while they’re walking down steps to the beach or on their own properties, and having street lights that are still on and working at night. 

“It’s really about recognizing shielding, so that lights are facing downward and not outward and upward. 

“I’ve actually gotten to speak personally to a couple of people who were really worried about having no lights and reassured them that that’s not what anybody wants or is asking for. 

“As I said, it’s not about getting rid of lights. It’s just about redirecting the angle and the warmth of the light bulb itself.” 

Seeing the Milky Way in the night sky, or the moons of Jupiter through a pair of binoculars, establishes a boundless sense of place, a spectacular and vast context of existence. For Explore Lincoln City, the appeal of this celestial scenery has a cash equivalent, based on a study from Dark Sky International.

“One study found that for every dollar spent on dark-sky-friendly lighting, there’s a return on investment of $1.93 through increased tourism,” Hull said. “I think there’s a call for people to come and experience nature and experience night. It’s something that I think Oregonians crave, and people from around the world crave—those amazing experiences to look at the sky and surroundings.”

Upon completion of Phase One, Explore Lincoln City will present a full report to the City Council. The Council will then decide whether to pursue Phase Two, which would consist of a certification preapplication, an ordinance update, engagement with a lighting contractor to update city lighting, and continued public engagement.