What is a dark sky worth? It is priceless, some would say. Think about it this month during International Dark Sky Week, April 13-20, 2026.

Light pollution threatens dark starry skies all around the world. Not limited to major urbanized areas, excess artificial light at night disrupts life cycles of nocturnal animals and interferes with sleep of diurnal ones, including humans. It can disrupt with bird migration by distracting and confusing nocturnal migrants’ orientation and inducing window collisions. And it takes away the wonder and cultural heritage of a sky full of constellations and the luminous band of the Milky Way.

Audubon is a partner of Dark Sky International in their efforts to reduce light pollution. Beginning in 1956, Audubon persuaded the Empire State Building to turn off lights during migration seasons. More recently, Lights Out campaigns in cities around North America have saved birds and raised awareness about our over-lit nighttime environment.

Among local events planned for this week is a webinar presentation by Jeff Pfaller titled “Dark Skies: Rare Phenomena in America’s Public Lands,” at 7:00 p.m (MDT) on Friday, April 17. The webinar is sponsored jointly by NM Wild and NM Dark Sky. There will be a live screening at Santa Fe Community College, in lecture hall 215, in the west wing next to the Planetarium.

We can all help:

• Turn off outdoor lights that aren’t needed
• Replace or shield outdoor lights that cause glare or shine upward
• Close curtains, shades or blinds to keep indoor light indoors
• Support ordinances and legislation to reduce light pollution
• Support dark sky organizations (DSI, NMDS)

Sangre de Cristo Chapter has submitted comments to the Federal Register opposing the USDA’s proposed cancellation of the 2001 Roadless Rule, which has effectively limited damage to large parts of our National Forests and has had wide bipartisan support in spite of opposition by timber interests and other powerful lobbyists. See our comments here.

The latest challenge to the Roadless Rule and the reason for this comment period (which is due to close on Sept. 19) is the recent announcement by U.S Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins of intent to entirely rescind the Roadless Rule. The stated reason is to remove “burdeonsome” regulations that “stifle economic growth.” Wildfire suppression is also cited, although ironically most wildfires occur near roads. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be prepared by the Department of Agriculture to enact this change, and the EIS must consider public comments.

To learn more about the Roadless Rule, read here.

To submit comments to the Federal Register, go here.

Since the original Valles Caldera Trust’s inception, the Sangre de Cristo Chapter has advocated for preservation and public ownership of this land and regards this management plan as an important blueprint for the future of the preserve. After reviewing both the management plan and environmental assessment, we believe that the New Appropriate Facilities Alternative offers the best option for encouraging the public to enjoy Valles Caldera’s beauty and serenity without compromising the preserve’s natural, cultural and historic values.

– see complete comment
– see planning documents
– submit a comment

May 21, 2025 · American Bird Conservancy

A local ordinance passed in Lake County, Illinois, is taking aim at one of the most worrying threats to declining birds: collisions with glass windows. More than a billion birds die in the U.S. in such collisions annually, contributing to the loss of 3 billion birds from North American populations since 1970. The ordinance is a national first and follows two years of collaboration between Lake County’s Planning, Building and Development Department and American Bird Conservancy (ABC), which commenced after local bird conservation advocate Donnie Dann asked the county to consider adopting a bird-friendly building policy.

Initial conversations centered on how to address bird collisions at County-owned buildings and about adopting a policy for new County construction and collisions at existing buildings. The next step was tackling something no municipality had done before: passing a bird-friendly building ordinance solely for new residential construction, including single-family homes.

“We’re hoping this groundbreaking homeowner collisions requirement could become trendsetting for other cities, especially since our latest study revealed that over 1 billion birds die from window collisions in the U.S. annually, with over 40 percent happening at homes. Together we can build a future in which glass is no longer a leading threat to birds,” said Bryan Lenz, ABC’s Glass Collisions Program Director.