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In 2010, the Goldendale Observatory State Park in Washington State became the sixth certified International Dark Sky Park in the world, and the second state park in the United States to be so designated by the International Dark-Sky Association. It now has the unique distinction of being...
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Friends of Goldendale Observatory sets the record straight about the facts surrounding the loss of the International Dark Sky Park status, the inconvenient truths of Washington State Parks mismanagement, and Goldendale and Klickitat County's betrayal of their promises to protect the Observatory's night sky:
Fanciful murals on walls do nothing to ensure stars and nebulas remain visible in the sky.
Light Pollution keeps 80% or more of Americans from being able to see the Milky Way.
The incomparable natural beauty of the night sky is disappearing across the developed world at a record pace. Friends of Goldendale Observatory honors the intent of the amateur astronomers and the community college who built the Observatory’s telescope that it would be located where a dark night sky is valued and protected from the damaging effects of light pollution. 
The stars of the Milky Way seen from Mt Rainier, Washington
The brighter, whiter, and mostly unshielded lights of nearby Goldendale and strewn across Klickitat County seen from the Goldendale Observatory, July 2021. Bob Yoesle.
Following Instead of Leading Washington State citizens acquired the Observatory in 1980 with its purchase by Washington State Parks. Since then, many communities and state and national parks – including Goldendale Observatory State Park – embraced dark sky astro-tourism and sincere advocacy for night sky conservation.
However, a change in Washington State Parks leadership – combined with a Goldendale Chamber of Commerce Director opposed to lighting code enforcement, and the decades-long lack of concern for night sky protection by the local political and business community – led to an unprecedented absence of support for night sky conservation by Washington State Parks. Not only did Washington State Parks fail to put up any sign or information about the Observatory being an International Dark Sky Park, the Washington State Park's Area Manager and the Observatory Director went so far as to disparage education and support for night sky conservation as "hippie dippy activism," a "waste of money," and "pandering to amateur astronomers." These are profoundly ironic statements considering the Observatory's telescope was specifically located in rural area to get away from night-sky-damaging light pollution, and the Observatory wouldn't exist without the 24 inch telescope built by amateur astronomers. They are a direct result that rather than engage with the astronomy and science education community, Washington State Parks instead elected to be in a "partnership" with the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce.
Instead of promoting conservation of the night sky, Washington State Parks apparently prefers to 'pander' to the Chamber's opposition to lighting code enforcement, and echo the business community's position that the Observatory is an "amusement park," and its primary objective being to "fill up hotel and restaurant parking spaces." This preference for local economic considerations over protection of the night sky is the opposite of what most people would consider important – especially for the vast majority of people who visit the Observatory from mostly urban and suburban areas and desire a dark night sky astronomy experience.
Gallup, Inc. April 2019
The Goldendale Observatory was suspended as an International Dark Sky Park after the Washington State Park's Observatory Director Troy Carpenter failed to submit a required annual report, and publicly stated promotion of night sky conservation is "a low priority" and "very unpopular" – without a shred of evidence to support this assertion. Carpenter then submitted a report which included false claims regarding the provision of dark-sky education programs to allegedly tens of thousands of people annually - which was in reality non-existent. This terse report was deemed inadequate, and the Washington State Parks Administration submitted a more detailed revised report, which also included grossly inaccurate night sky quality measurements made by Carpenter which indicated it no longer met any Dark Sky Park criteria. At the same time, Washington State Parks officials responsible for Observatory operations - yet without any astronomical knowledge let alone expertise - went so far as to describe a dark sky, and conservation and education for it, as a "concept... that's not part of operating the Park." This was inconsistent with and amazingly inappropriate for both an International Dark Sky Park and an astronomical observatory. Most significantly, the continuing failure of Carpenter to provide any dark sky education programs or attempts to garner community support for its conservation during the several-months-long suspension ultimately resulted in the removal of the Observatory's prestigious International Dark Sky Park designation in 2017 – the first International Dark Sky Park certification ever revoked. 
While Washington State Parks stated in 2019 it would correct their deficiencies and seek reinstatement of a Dark Sky Park designation, including a pledge to "work with the local community to ensure that is accomplished," it ultimately chose not to.
Why? Without the benefit of knowledgeable and qualified management or leadership, and completely devoid of any statewide stakeholder input – Washington State Parks apparently came to believe it's more important to yield to nearsighted local political and business interest's unwillingness to engage in truly meaningful night sky conservation, rather than to give priority to the overwhelming majority of the state's citizens desiring a dark sky astronomy experience at a facility which proudly claims to be "famous for its dark skies." Rather than responsibly and justifiably conditioning additional improvements to the Observatory on Goldendale and Klickitat County honoring their original promises (and subsequently adopted lighting codes) to protect the Observatory's night sky – Carpenter reassured the City and the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce that despite of the loss of the International Dark-Sky Association's Dark Sky Park Status, Washington State Parks would reward decades of night sky neglect by giving Goldendale a 6 million dollar state-taxpayer funded facility upgrade no matter what: “Our status with a third-party organization with which we are no longer affiliated (and should not have been) has no bearing on our policies or capital project objectives.” Emphasis added. Meanwhile, Washington State Parks Climate and Sustainability Coordinator and Interpretive Program Manager Ryan Karlson stated that “Preserving the dark sky at the Goldendale Observatory is part of our mission" and "we will promote the value of preserving our dark skies and support educational outreach to reduce the impacts of light pollution and other threats to this vulnerable natural resource.” (Empahsis added). Therefore, while initially providing International Dark Sky Park night sky conservation education and advocacy under previous management and staff, and Karlson stating they would do so again under the current management and staff, Washington State Parks has abandoned interest in providing education about or promotion of the conservation of the Observatory’s night sky and seeking "robust community support for dark sky protection." Carpenter now states “the requirements attached to the [International Dark Sky Park] status were not a good fit with WA State Parks operating policy,” alleging they would “require parks staff to behave in an activist or legislative capacity.” Washington State Parks apparently has new "operating policies" that preclude providing education about, or advocating for, conservation of vulnerable natural resources. Moreover, Carpenter's disparaging "activist" and totally false "behaving in a legislative capacity" rationales regarding the International Dark-Sky Association's night sky conservation education and advocacy requirements would apply to any Washington State Park. Apparently what's not only acceptable but beneficial for other public observatories, other state park systems including the adjacent state of Oregon, and the U.S. National Park Service is somehow not so good for Washington. When publicly asked by a citizen about Washington State Parks previous commitment to seek community support for dark skies as part of regaining an International Dark Sky Park status, Carpenter stated on April 29, 2021: “We’re not going to be reapplying for that status; I would go out of my way to avoid doing so actually." Emphasis added. Thanks in no small part to Carpenter, here's a sign you haven't seen in Washington State: 
And apparently never will.
Since 1980 Washington State citizens and taxpayers have provided many millions of dollars for the operation of and upgrades to the Goldendale Observatory State Park and its historic telescope, yet the Park's most important asset – the quality of the night sky – is continuing to be degraded for future generations at the behest of the local political and business establishment. Therefore the failure of Washington State Parks to promote night sky conservation and protect taxpayer investments in the Observatory are a betrayal not only of the founding principles of the Observatory, but of the fiduciary responsibility to care for public assets the State of Washington has stewardship and responsibility for. You can't fix what you don't know about. Most people in Goldendale and Klickitat County remain completely unaware of the lighting codes, and local political and business interests evidently want to keep it that way. Washington State Parks for all intents and purposes is their willing accomplice. |
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Photo by Mason Trinca, Yakima Herald-Republic
Light pollution from Goldendale, 2014. Troy Carpenter, Washington State Parks
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The reality of over 40 years' worth of unrestrained light pollution - visible as the illumination of the south side of the Goldendale Observatory on a clear moonless night - coming directly from the City of Goldendale and surrounding Klickitat County.
Satellite measurements of light pollution
Downtown Goldendale: Klickitat Co. Courthouse and County jail with prohibited unshielded lighting. Bob Yoesle
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Actions Speak Louder than Words
For decades the City of Goldendale and Klickitat County have broken the promises under which they were entrusted with the Observatory's historic telescope, and without which the Observatory wouldn't exist – at least not in Goldendale or Klickitat County:
“Protect a dark nighttime sky and visual environment near the Goldendale Observatory” and “prevent excessive illumination, glare, and reflection in areas adjacent to astronomical research facilities, such as observatories, where such light intrusion would hinder use of sensitive optical devices.” Goldendale and Klickitat County lighting codes.
These unfulfilled promises to protect the Observatory's night sky are a classic "bait and switch." While the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce openly proclaims their priority is to exploit the Goldendale Observatory as a "marketing tool" for local "economic and commercial gain" – reinforced by Washington State Park's Observatory Director Carpenter parroting this is "absolutely our priority" (while light pollution is publicly declared a "low priority") – the Chamber, Goldendale, and Klickitat County's failure to inform or educate the public about or promote the lighting codes for night sky conservation demonstrates these local political and business interests do not care about the Observatory's fundamental purposes, conserving the beauty of its star-filled night sky, or protecting the Washington State taxpayers' substantial investment in their community. Below is a small sample of City, County, and Federal government buildings, and commercial and residential city and countryside outside lighting – much of it installed within the past two or three years – which is grossly excessive or violates the lighting code requirements for shielding of outdoor lighting. Note the proliferation of blue-white "daylight" LED lighting and signage which is exceptionally damaging to the night sky. At the insistence of city-appointed lighting task force business representatives and home-grown anti-regulation business owner-politicians, draft regulations meeting night sky conserving lighting code "best practices" which addressed excessive "total area lumens," high "color temperature" lighting elements, and improper illumination of outdoor signs, were deliberately removed from the 2017 Goldendale lighting code revision. All photos were taken from April 2020 to April 2021 between 1 am and 4 am local time.
Below: "Fisheye lens" all-sky view seen from the Goldendale Observatory. The "light dome" from Goldendale extends along one-quarter or more of the southern horizon and half-way to directly overhead. The first image is the original exposure. The second image is an enhanced version to show the true extent of light pollution relative to the brightness of the Milky Way. Photo: Bob Yoesle
Most everyone who has viewed the Observatory's night sky over the years notes the light pollution has grown brighter year after year, and is located in one of the most important parts of the sky – to the south, where the center of the summer Milky Way lies. In 2014 Observatory Director Carpenter stated "there is already too much light pollution from town to get a good view of deep space objects in the southern sky, like the center of our galaxy." "The dark sky situation could be better... The reality is that you could find darker skies in this part of the state by driving up the highway a few miles… and that’s unfortunate, because, obviously, we have an observatory here. It’s not abysmal, but at the same time it’s getting worse... it’s not getting better. In the short time I’ve been here, I have been negatively affected by the light pollution… There are certain objects I wanted to show the visitors and they didn’t look right… they didn’t look good because of the washed out background light, so it’s just a real issue."
Currently beholden to the marketing priorities of the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce to support his personal Observatory website, Carpenter now states Goldendale's night sky is "beautifully dark" and disingenuously claims the night sky is "even darker" following installation of LED street lights which are twice as damaging to the night sky as the fully shielded HPS street lights they replaced. And as described above, decades of uncontrolled proliferation of unshielded outdoor lighting, now compounded by bright white LED's, only adds insult to injury. Goldendale has gone to great lengths to solicit grants in the hundred of thousands of dollars to improve its small and infrequently used municipal airport serving a few private and local business interests who apparently don't wish to have to fuel up their private planes in Dallesport 19 miles away. At the same time, Goldendale and the Chamber of Commerce promote the Observatory as a "jewel" and the centerpiece of their tourism efforts.
Yet Goldendale hasn't done a thing to raise funds to retrofit the extensive unshielded outdoor lighting it has allowed to violate the lighting codes for decades. The same goes for Klickitat County. Nor has Goldendale used any of the $60,000 or more per year in electricity cost savings from a 2017 LED streetlight conversion (paid for by a state transportation improvement grant) for replacing unshielded lighting, lighting code education, or night sky conservation and support. Given decades of neglect to protect the Observatory's night sky – and the Chamber's well-established opposition to lighting code implementation or enforcement – it is paradoxical that Goldendale contracted with the Chamber of Commerce in 2020 to pursue a provisional International Dark Sky Community status to replace the Goldendale Observatory State Park's forfeited Dark Sky Park designation. "An International Dark Sky Community is a town, city, municipality or other legally organized community that has shown exceptional dedication to the preservation of the night sky through the implementation and enforcement of a quality outdoor lighting ordinance, dark sky education and citizen support of dark skies. Dark Sky Communities excel in their efforts to promote responsible lighting and dark sky stewardship, and set good examples for surrounding communities." International Dark-Sky Association.
Unlike Goldendale and Klickitat County WA – Flagstaff AZ, the first International Dark Sky Community, and surrounding Coconino County, strive for and have earnestly implemented protection of the night sky for the telescopes of the historic Lowell Observatory.
If anything, Goldendale, the Chamber of Commerce, and Klickitat County have shown an exceptional lack of dedication to the preservation of the night sky through the implementation and enforcement of quality outdoor lighting ordinances. Additionally, they are providing no promotion or public support for the importance of night sky conservation for the Goldendale Observatory. Despite having been offered direct assistance from the International Dark-Sky Association at no cost, the Mayor and City of Goldendale elected to have an expensive contract with infamously anti-regulation proponent Dana Peck of the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce to submit a highly embellished and outright false Provisional Dark Sky Community application to the IDA. In order to meet a provisional status as a Dark Sky Community, Goldendale would have had to submit a plan that would have inventoried and brought into compliance 90% of of the accumulated non-dark-sky compliant outdoor lighting within 5 years’ time. The application would also have had to meet Dark Sky Community minimum requirements, including well-established public support and educational outreach programs for night sky conservation - which are non-existent - and have an effective lighting ordinance which includes regulating the color temperature of outdoor lighting, establishing effective total lumen limits per a given area, and effective regulation of illuminated outdoor signs – all features which were deliberately removed from the draft ordinance revision in 2017. The application went nowhere. After over 40 years of neglect of the night sky, Goldendale and the Chamber of Commerce apparently viewed a Dark Sky Community designation as something easy to accomplish by bamboozling the IDA (just as Carpenter did for two years), and only wanted the notoriety from the designation in order to generate tourism. But as with Washington State Parks, when having to honestly address and implement the requirements for night sky conservation in order to actually achieve an International Dark Sky Place status, it again seems to be no-thanks... "not a good fit." 
Light Pollution from Goldendale brightens the southern sky as seen from 4 miles (6.5 km) away. Bob Yoesle
Yakima Herald-Republic/Mason Trinca
It's the proverbial killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Klickitat County, Goldendale, and the Goldendale Chamber of Commerce apparently really would be just as happy if they had an “amusement park” rather an observatory to help “fill up hotel and restaurant parking spaces.”
Unfortunately they couldn’t get massive donated roller coasters or Ferris wheels, Federal construction grants, or decades of Washington State taxpayer operating funds and millions of Washington State taxpayer capitol improvement dollars to foot the bill for that. They obviously don't want the bother of requesting public support for - or actual enforcement of - pesky regulations they promised and belatedly enacted for the conservation and protection of the Observatory's natural night sky environment. And until they do, a spinally-challenged Washington State Parks devoid of knowledgeable and qualified leadership will continue to be their lap-dog. 
No need for conserving the natural night sky or reducing light pollution here.
Goldendale Observatory State Park belongs to all the citizens of Washington. The night sky of the Observatory is itself a public natural heritage, scenic, ecological, educational, and cultural resource, and merits conservation and protection for every one of us, our children, and generations to follow. Goldendale, Klickitat County, and Washington State Parks have broken faith not only with the builders of the telescope and Observatory founders, they have betrayed the citizens of Washington. Actions do speak louder than words. The truth is they don't really care. Until this situation changes, taxpayers, students, educators, amateur astronomers, and those coming from around the world, should consider whether they wish to patronize and support the restaurants, gas stations, hotels, RV parks, and others whose only desire is to profit from the Goldendale Observatory as a tourist attraction, while failing to show any desire – let alone obligation – to protect and conserve its essential night sky quality. 
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