At the heart of reducing light pollution is smart community planning. Numerous cities and counties in Central Idaho already have dark sky ordinances that require shielding of outdoor lighting. But given changes in lighting technology and the recent surge in LED popularity, revisions to many older dark sky ordinances are becoming necessary. CIDSR representatives have been working with local governments to assess the need for adopting or improving existing ordinances. If you have any questions about this process please send us an email.

The concept of dark sky preservation is not new to this area. Ketchum passed one of Idaho’s first Dark Sky ordinances in 1999. Hailey soon followed with their dark sky ordinance in 2002, Sun Valley in 2004, Blaine County in 2010, and Custer County in 2010. Stanley is currently working on an ordinance and the Forest Service has committed to working with permittees and landowners in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area to improve lighting.

For specific information about the local ordinances visit:

Stanley – cityofstanleyid.gov

Sun Valley – www.sunvalleyidaho.gov

Hailey –  www.haileycityhall.org

Blaine County – www.co.blaine.id.us

Custer County – www.co.custer.id.us