Park’s Dark Skies designation serves us all

Iwrite as a former member of the Rappahannock County Recreational Facilities Authority and as a concerned citizen in Rappahannock County. The Dark Skies Park designation is an achievement, an honor and an outstanding educational opportunity for the people of this county. The designation is only given to those places where the night skies can be seen clearly and there is little to no light pollution. A commitment to “Dark Skies” is part of our comprehensive plan and part of our desire to remain a rural community that does not allow urban sprawl. As an environmental matter, there are thousands of birds, bats, and insects that inhabit the night skies and are endangered by the increasing light pollution.

As a result of our Dark Sky Park designation, we have the opportunity to hear some of the best astronomers in this state come to explain what constellations you can see at the park and what is happening in the night sky. Knowing what exists beyond our planet is critical to the education of anyone who wishes to understand our world and our place in the universe. To answer the question “how does this benefit the county?” — it benefits us all to be educated, more knowledgeable of our place in the universe and simply to be able to enjoy the stars and their constellations.

During the time that I was on the RCRFA, the board worked hard to assuage the neighbors. We put up several no trespassing signs along the fence, we paid to have the fence line surveyed and to get the funds to build the fence. Under Virginia law, neighbors usually share the expense of a boundary fence. The neighbors have not been asked to do this. When they complained about the Dark Skies events, the number of events was reduced to the bare minimum to retain the Dark Skies designation. The people who come to the events are from the county as well as from other counties. They are not a rowdy bunch. If one of the star gazers has mistakenly gone on to the neighbor’s land then it might be because the neighbors share their driveway with the park and don’t close their gate. As to headlights at night, anyone who has close neighbors might make that complaint.

The recent reporting on this matter by the Rappahannock News has not been as nuanced as the situation requires. The first obligation of the RCRFA board members is to serve the citizens of Rappahannock, and the Dark Skies Park designation serves us all.