International Dark Sky Places pre-application Inquiry Form
The International Dark Sky Places Program offers five certification categories. Candidates are qualified based on management, location, nighttime public access, resources, and night sky quality. Use this form to provide as much detail as possible when describing the proposed site and interest in becoming an International Dark Sky Place. If you are unsure about what category you would like to seek certification for or need more information about the International Dark Sky Place program before proceeding with your inquiry, please visit the Apply to Become an International Dark Sky Place and Frequently Asked Questions pages. Dark Sky Places program staff will contact you within 30-60 business days to review the eligibility criteria and provide direction on how to proceed in the nomination process.
Applicant or Representative Information – Please provide us with your information.
Date
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Month
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Day
Year
Date
Your Name
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First Name
Last Name
Title
Email Address
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example@example.com
Phone Number
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Country Code
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Area Code
Phone Number
What is your affiliation with the site?
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Site Information – Please provide us with information about your site or community.
Site or Community Name
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Site Manager/Owner
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First Name
Last Name
Title
Site Manager/Owner Email Address
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example@example.com
Physical Address
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Street Address
Street Address Line 2
City
State / Province
Postal / Zip Code
Provide the geographic coordinates for your site in decimal degrees
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Example of decimal degrees: 38.7526, -106.0657. This can be a central location, visitor center, entrance, sky viewing area, etc.
URL for the site (indicate N/A if not applicable)
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Estimated area of your site (square kilometers)
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Site Certification
What certification are you interested in applying for?
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Please Select
International Dark Sky Park
International Dark Sky Sanctuary
International Dark Sky Community
International Dark Sky Reserve
Urban Night Sky Place
Unknown
Provide a map of your proposed site showing all of the site’s boundaries. Please include multiple maps if necessary to show the full area of the site as well as the larger geographical context (i.e., proximity to the nearest town/city).
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llustrate the entirety of your proposed site and any other relevant features including landmarks, inholdings, exclusion zones, etc. Please include a map legend including labels clearly identifying the attributes illustrated on the map)
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Eligibility Criteria
All lands within the site must be legally “protected” specifically for its scientific, natural, educational, and/or cultural heritage resources, and/or for public enjoyment. Describe how your site is “protected.”
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May be publicly or privately owned, but the applicant must demonstrate how the site is legally protected.
Nighttime public access must be regular, meaning that it must be consistent and open throughout the year. Describe your nighttime access policy or proposal to allow visitors at the site at night.
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The site must provide the opportunity for public nighttime access, with or without supervision. A portion of designated land may meet this requirement, or access must be available for a fraction of the length of the night.
Describe the night sky quality and experience at your site with regard to its typical nighttime conditions. For example, is the Milky Way readily visible with the naked eye, are there any nearby artificial light sources that cause glare, and/or are there light domes present on the horizon?
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In some cases, such as when working with areas that protect endangered wildlife, archaeological sites, or other sensitive resources, this requirement may be waived or adjusted to meet important conservation goals. Would the site require this exemption?
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Yes
No
A Sanctuary must be located in a remote location with few (if any) threats to the quality of its dark night skies (i.e., light domes on the horizon, growing urban development) and must offer a natural wilderness-like setting. Describe the environmental setting of your site in terms of its proximity to cities or towns, difficulty of access, and frequency of visitation by the public.
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Describe how your proposed community is legally organized. This can be in the form of a town, city, municipality, or other legally recognized community (such as urban neighborhoods and subdivisions), but need not be an incorporated entity.
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Does your proposed community have an existing lighting policy that guides citizens, planners, developers in the utilization of outdoor lighting?
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For examples of the types of policy IDA accepts, review the ‘Policy’ section on our Frequently Asked Questions page
If adopted, does your community feel confident that quality community-friendly lights will be implemented for both public and privately owned lights within a reasonable timeframe?
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Can you identify areas of the most problematic areas of outdoor lighting within your Community?
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Identify the name of the area(s) that will serve as the Reserve’s core(s).
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Provide any additional information about describing the location and selection of the proposed core(s).
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Cores are essentially the drivers of Reserve efforts, and as such it is strongly recommended for the Reserve to build a steering committee of key partners to organize efforts at the landscape scale. Is there already a working or steering committee or group in place to lead the Reserve efforts?
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Does the periphery, including the core area, encompass a minimum of 700 km²?
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Yes
No
Does the periphery fully enclose the core area(s) on all sides?
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Yes
No
If no, describe the conditions for not including lands in that area and if there are any immediate threats that can be identified.
Provide any additional information about describing the location and selection of the proposed periphery area and its partners.
Are there any plans to expand the periphery boundaries over time?
Identify the specific urban community that impacts your site’s night sky quality.
Community name, population size, and estimated distance from the proposed site (in kilometers).
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Provide a description of the site’s nighttime experience in terms of visible light domes, topography, vegetation, neighboring properties, and visible stars. If available, upload photos in the next field that support these descriptions.
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The place and/or its partner organizations must engage visitors with direct interpretation of the value of natural nighttime darkness and the importance of quality outdoor lighting practices. Do you already have partners that can assist you with your application? Partners can be instrumental in raising awareness about your application, hosting outreach efforts, providing funding for lighting retrofits and interpretation signage, for example.
Does the site have existing outdoor lighting?
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Yes
No
If you have reviewed our website information and guidelines and you are not sure what certification applies to you, we can work with you to determine the most suitable certification for your site. Please provide us with a description of your site or community.
Tell us about the goals you would like to achieve through pursuing an International Dark Sky Places Program certification. The more information that you can provide, the better we can assist you.
Additional Information
What dark sky actions, if any, has your site completed?
Do you have any initial questions or require additional information?
Are you a member of DarkSky?
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Yes
No
No, but I am interested in learning more
Are you a DarkSky Advocate, Delegate, or affiliated with an DarkSky Chapyer?
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Yes
No
No, but I am interested in learning more
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