Dark sky reserves are believed to increase visitor numbers to natural parks
Two areas of natural beauty in Northumberland are carrying out an extensive audit of their exterior lighting so that they can apply for'dark sky preserve'status.
Every outside light in the 400 square miles of Kielder Forest and the adjacent Northumberland national park are to be audited so that the area can meet criteria laid down by the International dark-sky Association(IDA)based in Tucson,Arizona.A public campaign will also be launched to win over local people to streetlamps which minimise light pollution and unobtrusive security lights.
The move comes after Kielder Forest came top of a'dark skies'survey conducted by the Campaign to Protect Rural England in 2003 and follows the success of astronomical holidays at'star camps'at the public observatory which have attracted 30,000 visitors to the area in four years.
The area around Kielder Water,England's biggest reservoir is already sparsely populated but the ambitious part of the plan is to add the whole of Northumberland national park to the proposed reserve,more than doubling the size of the forest on its own.The park is crossed by several roads and a number of villages lie around its edges.
The director of the Kielder Water development trust,Elisabeth Rowark,said:"Dark sky status would allow us to protect,cherish and promote our natural nightscapes,but gaining public support is the key.It is crucial to understand that the idea does not mean turning lights off.Rather it is about working with local people and Northumberland county council to create better and less wasteful lighting and promote the night sky as an asset for the region."
In preparation for the launch,wildlife rangers,volunteers and stargazers from Kielder Observatory and Newcastle astronomical societies have been taking hundreds of lux readings at different points in the parks.Their findings prove that the area is dark enough to meet IDA standards–provided that certain criteria are met.
These criteria would include the implementation of a light management plan and a comprehensive audit of wattage and direction of the existing lighting stock.
As part of the public campaign,the forest and national parks have written to residents inviting their comments and involvement in the project.
If the area is successful the Northumberland preserve would join Mont Mégantic in Quebec and Big Bend national park in Texas as dark sky preserve.
