On a clear night at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, stars spill endlessly across the northern Utah sky. New protections enacted in Brigham City in July aim to keep it that way.
Standing beneath the vast twinkling lights is the simplest way for people to feel connected to the universe, said Dean Lester, a board member of the advocacy group Friends of the Bear River Refuge. That connection, he added, can lead to a deeper bond with nature.
“My biggest concern is that people are becoming so connected with the interior of their buildings and with living on computers and screens that they do not experience the natural world,” Lester said, “and we are losing our natural world because of the encroachment of humans on our natural world.”
Some of that encroachment comes from artificial light. At the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, dark skies help millions of birds migrate safely each year. Many species rely on the stars to guide them along journeys that stretch thousands of miles.
But with Brigham City and Box Elder County facing growth, advocates like Lester worry unshielded lights threaten both wildlife and the rural character of the area.
That’s why he has spent the past couple of years advocating for lighting standards to ensure new development directs its light downward and minimizes disruption to the refuge. In July, his efforts helped put these protections officially in place for Brigham City.
The new standards require all new outdoor lights to be fully shielded so that light is directed downward and remains on the property where it originates. Larger developments must also submit certified lighting plans detailing fixtures, lumen output, and placement to ensure compliance with the rules.
“Light isn’t respective of property boundaries,” he said, “unless you shield it. You can greatly affect the environment next to the refuge if you put a lot of development on there.”
Lester, who was a member of Brigham City’s planning commission for nearly a decade, said he has noticed extensive growth happening in areas near Brigham City and the bird refuge. While the growth hasn’t reached the level of other areas of the state, he said this was a preemptive move to protect it before it’s too late.
“We haven’t experienced the extensive growth that Utah Valley has,” he said. “But as Utah Valley fills up, and if we still have a growth-centered political structure in Utah, then we’re going to put people somewhere.”
Last year, he successfully advocated for Box Elder County to put in lighting standards for unincorporated areas, including limits on light height and brightness and requirements for shielding. Businesses must also turn off nonessential lights at night. He said he plans to advocate for the same standards in Perry next.
“We’re trying to preserve as much of the night sky as we can,” he said, “in the vicinity of the refuge.”
Mark Bradley, the city planner for Brigham City, said there has been increasing pressure to develop areas surrounding the refuge. Much of the land is privately owned, and families have expressed interest in moving their children and grandchildren into these areas. Some developers are looking at larger tracts or cluster subdivisions.
Bradley said the city aims to allow what is necessary for new developments while minimizing impacts on the refuge. The new lighting provisions are designed to support that balance, he said.
“You hear stories about kids that don’t even know what the stars look like unless they go out somewhere,” Bradley said. “It’s really one of those quality of life things that people can enjoy. But at the same time, you know, we wanted to have a fine balance between industry and safety and energy efficiency.”
