JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County has achieved a long sought-after designation this month, becoming the first entire county to be certified as an International Dark Sky Community.
According to a press release by DarkSky International, the certification was made official on April 11. Teton County confirmed the news on Friday, April 25, stating that the designation was the result of a decade of collaboration among the County, the Town of Jackson and Wyoming Stargazing.
“Teton County lies at the heart of the largest intact ecosystem in North America,” Chair of the Teton County Board of County Commissioners Mark Newcomb said via press release. “It is a cherished natural environment that attracts visitors from all over the world. Becoming the first Dark Sky Certified County in the world befits such a unique situation and reflects the value we put on the natural environment.”
DarkSky International is a nonprofit that aims to reduce light pollution through encouraging installation of environmentally friendly outdoor lighting. Last week, the Jackson Hole Airport announced that it had become the first airport to be DarkSky certified. Qualification generally entails updating and replacing light fixtures to minimize light spill and glare.
According to the County, its land development regulations were updated in 2022 to minimize light pollution. An exterior lighting inventory was then conducted in 2023, yielding a list of all County and Town owned or operated exterior lighting that will be updated to be DarkSky compliant by April 2030.
“Attaining Dark Sky Community Certification is not only about preserving the night sky; it is also about supporting healthy wildlife populations, improving human health, enhancing celestial tourism and preserving a piece of our cultural heritage, the ability to see the Milky Way, which has been a part of the human experience since time immemorial,” Town of Jackson Ecosystem Stewardship Administrator Tanya Anderson said via press release.
Wyoming Stargazing Executive Director Samuel Singer told Buckrail that he hopes to keep expanding dark sky protections.
“Just over 100 years ago, a group of locals had a series of meetings that led to the formation of Grand Teton National Park,” Singer said. “They understood the importance of preserving the land in this magnificent valley without development for future generations; they were able to convince others to feel the same way. My work to preserve Jackson Hole’s dark night skies is a continuation of their efforts.”
According to DarkSky, Teton County’s certification signals a step toward the nonprofit’s goal of designating the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem as an International Dark Sky Reserve, encompassing parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Central Idaho is home to an International Dark Sky Reserve surrounding the Sawtooth Mountains, along with the Big Bend area of Texas and international reserves in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Namibia and a few countries in western Europe.
“Teton County covers a vast amount of land with both private and public ownership, so this recognition awards those with all degrees of interest in conserving not only the land but also the sky of the region,” DarkSky International Program Associate Michael Rymer said via press release.
DarkSky notes in a 2015 blog post that certification can serve as a tourism draw, and thus an economic booster for participating communities.
In 2023, Sinks Canyon State Park became the first DarkSky-designated site in Wyoming. Upwards of 240 sites across the world have been DarkSky certified since the nonprofit began in 2001, according to the org.
