DARK SKIES
Dark Sky Community Designation Project
In a recent survey where the residents of Gold Canyon were asked to list their top three concerns, the concept of a dark skies community came at number two. To help implement this effort GCCI is helping to organize a committee to work on this issue.
We are not alone. There are several cities, towns, and unincorporated areas in Arizona that have achieved a Dark Skies Designation. We can draw on their examples and hopefully their advice to move towards this goal here in our community and perhaps beyond in Pinal County.
Several Arizona Communities Already on Board:
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Fountain Hills (photo above)
The process is a multi-year effort and will require assistance from Pinal County and surrounding communities.
We've had interest expressed by the Town of Superior, Queen Valley, and Oracle who want to join in our efforts to install a region-wide dark sky area.
DARK SKY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Gold Canyon has long been an unofficial dark sky community. However, new developments are bringing increased light pollution. Therefore, we took action to anchor and preserve our dark skies for generations to come.
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On August 31, 2023, we submitted our 80-page application with DarkSky International to become a certified International Dark Sky Community. It took almost a year to get to this point, working with DarkSky International and other organizations in our area.
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On September 5, 2023, we held a community meeting on this subject with a presentation from DarkSky International.
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We anticipate a year or two of continued discussions and adjustments before finally being official, but once we are, we will be the first community in Pinal County to obtain this status and one of only 40+ worldwide.
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The next steps will be to boost community awareness of what elements are needed to maintain our Dark Sky Community status, collect data on our current levels of light, and show progress toward improving our Dark Sky capabilities.
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We are working with the City of Apache Junction which is pursuing a Dark Sky Place designation, the Peralta Regional Park which is going for a Dark Sky Park designation, and the Town of Oracle which is also working on a Dark Sky Community designation.
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We hope that eventually, the entire northern and eastern parts of Pinal County will be a place known for our dark skies.
