HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-06-26 Public Comment - J. Mangold - investing in a dark skyFrom:Jane Mangold
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]investing in a dark sky
Date:Tuesday, October 6, 2026 8:08:58 AM
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Dear City Commissioners,
In a guest column in the Bozeman Chronicle on 26 September, Deputy Mayor Fischerasked Bozeman residents what sort of city we want, and tonight the Commission will
begin discussing future investments for the City. One thing I have always appreciatedabout Bozeman is its dark sky and being able to see the stars at night. As Bozeman and
the Gallatin Valley continue to grow, I would like to see us place value on the dark sky, asimple yet profound and inspiring feature of our city. Relative to other investments the
City could make, investing in dark skies is small and results in many benefits—humanhealth (e.g., we sleep better in the dark), energy savings (DarkSky International
estimates that at least 30 percent of all outdoor lighting in the U.S. is wasted), protectionof the natural nighttime environment (e.g., birds that migrate at night navigate by
moonlight and starlight), and safety and security (bad lighting creates glare, actuallyreducing nighttime safety). Bozeman has taken measures to reduce light pollution, and
I’d like to see us continue and improve this effort going forward. Using lighting that istargeted, low level, controlled, and warm-colored are simple principles that go a long
way toward conserving the beauty and benefits of our dark, night sky.
Sincerely,
Jane Mangold, Bozeman resident, North Tracy Avenue