Image by Leslie Kehmeier
“As the population of Oregon and the trend of light pollution continue to rise,
the unparalleled scale and quality of the Outback’s dark skies will
long serve as a starry refuge for people and wildlife alike.”
- Dawn Nilson, environmental consultant and DarkSky Delegate
The Southern portion of the Oregon Timber Trail is one of the most remote sections on route. Tracing through Lake County Oregon it is part of the largest contiguous dark sky zone in the lower 48 United States. According to recent census numbers Lake County, Oregon is home to a population of around 8,000 people. That’s roughly 1 person per square mile. Compared to the city of Portland’s ratio of nearly 4,500ppl per square mile - thats a lot of open space and dark skies. And I don’t know about you, but gazing up at the stars after a long day clearing or riding trails might be one of the most satisfying experiences this little human critter has ever known.
It’s estimated that 80% of Americans and nearly 33% of populations worldwide can no longer see the Milky Way in the places they call home. In addition to the visual loss of experiencing the vastness of the night sky it has been shown that light pollution is detrimental to human health, alters the behaviors of nocturnal animals, and confuses migratory birds. That’s why we were excited to learn that the Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary (OOIDSS) was officially certified in March 2024 as the world’s largest International Dark Sky Sanctuary comprised of nearly 2.5 million acres of southeastern Oregon.
Learn more about this collaborative effort and their proposed Light Management Plan over at DarkSky International. And don’t forget to mark your calendars to join us out among the stars of Lake County up in the Fremont National Forest for our upcoming spring work parties on May 24 - 26 and again on June 14-16, 2024. Register now and bring your telescope if you've got one!
