 
Back
To News/PR Index
|
Cedar
Breaks National Monument Designated as
an
International Dark-Sky Park
|
Cedar
City, UT – March 2017 / Newsmaker Alert / Cedar
Breaks National Monument and the International
Dark-Sky Association (IDA) are excited to announce the designation
of Cedar Breaks as an International Dark-Sky Park. This distinction recognizes
Cedar Breaks as a sanctuary of natural darkness and for the opportunity
it provides visitors to enjoy the night sky.
|
 Cedar
Breaks, about 30 minutes east of Cedar City, UT, is far enough from city
lights to offer a clear view of the heavens, yet close enough to cities
along the I-15 corridor (such as Las Vegas, St. George & Salt Lake
City) to give millions of people the opportunity to experience a dark night
sky close to home. This combination has made Cedar Breaks a rapidly growing
destination for travelers and local residents looking to enjoy a dark night
sky. In the summer months, Cedar Breaks hosts popular ranger-led stargazing
programs, the highest such programs in the national park system at 10,350
feet.
Cedar
Breaks is the 16th of the 417 National Park Service (NPS) units to be designated
as an International Dark-Sky Park, and the first in southwestern Utah.
“We are proud to welcome Cedar Breaks into the IDA Dark-Sky Places family,”
said IDA Executive Director J. Scott Feierabend. “We celebrate the National
Monument for the great things it continues to do in promoting the preservation
of dark skies not only at the park, but also across southern Utah.”
With
this designation, Utah is now home to seven IDA Dark-Sky Parks, more than
any other state or province in the world. “We are extremely happy Cedar
Breaks has been designated as an International Dark-Sky Park.” said Maria
Twitchell, director of the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau. “Astro-Tourism
is a rapidly growing tourism trend and we have created an initiative to
promote our dark-sky resources as a viable destination attraction. Stargazers
buy merchandise, stay in lodging and eat in our local restaurants and so
we anticipate this designation will create a significant economic boost
for our county.”
To
satisfy the requirements for Dark-Sky Park status, Cedar Breaks staff has
been working together with numerous community partners, such as Southern
Utah University and the Southern Utah Space Foundation, for the past several
years. Accomplishments have included installing night sky friendly lighting
in the monument, expanding astronomy-related educational opportunities
for area residents and visitors, and establishing a robust outreach program
that works with local communities to protect dark-skies. This fall, Cedar
Breaks will launch its “Master Astronomer Program”, a series of hands-on
interactive workshops for those interested in learning more about astronomy
and how to protect dark-skies. Monument Superintendent Paul Roelandt said
“Cedar Breaks is honored to be selected as an International Dark-Sky Park.
This designation is an essential step forward in our effort to raise awareness
of the importance of dark night skies. Protecting this valuable resource
is truly a community effort and this designation would not have been possible
without the hard work of our partners and staff.”
|
Visitors enjoy Cedar Breaks
internationally acclaimed dark skies.
Copyright: Mike Saemisch
|
Cedar
Breaks was assisted in this effort by the NPS Natural Sounds &
Night Skies Division, NPS Intermountain Regional Office, and the Colorado
Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative. The International Dark-Sky Association, a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, advocates for
the protection of the nighttime environment and dark night skies by educating
policymakers and the public about night sky conservation and promoting
environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. More information about IDA
and the Dark-Sky Places program may be found at www.DarkSky.org.
To
celebrate the designation, Cedar Breaks invites the public to a special
star party on March
18th in partnership with Brian Head Resort:
-
When:
Saturday, March 18th, 7-10pm
-
Where:
Brian Head Resort, Navajo Lodge
-
Join
rangers from Cedar Breaks to celebrate our designation as an International
Dark-Sky Park!
The star party will begin with a short talk about the significance of the
designation and a public Q&A period, followed by telescope viewing,
night sky stories, and constellation tours. Warm beverages will be provided
at Navajo Lodge along with astronomy activities for kids and information
on dark-sky friendly lighting.
Other
night sky events will take place at Cedar Breaks and Brian Head throughout
the coming year. For the latest schedule, visit the Cedar Breaks calendar
of events at: www.NPS.gov/cebr/planyourvisit/calendar.htm.
About
the National Park Service
More
than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national
parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local
history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at
www.NPS.gov,
on Facebook Facebook.com/nationalparkservice,
Twitter Twitter.com/natlparkservice,
and YouTube YouTube.com/nationalparkservice.
Media
Contact:
Zachary
Schierl (NPS)
Education
Specialist & Dark Skies Coordinator
435-586-9451
x4429 |
