Simsbury conservation chair urges dark‑sky ordinance, offers model language to zoning commission

Marjorie Winters, chair of Simsbury’s Conservation Commission and Inland Wetlands Commission, told the Simsbury Zoning Commission that artificial light at night is disrupting wildlife and human circadian rhythms and urged the commission to adopt local lighting regulations based on Connecticut model rules.

Winters told the commission that the Conservation Commission has reviewed the Connecticut “Lights Out” model regulations and will provide draft zoning‑text language that would require lower‑Kelvin fixtures, shielding, timers or dimmers and other standards. “There’s no such thing as wildlife‑friendly lighting. You can have better lighting, but the best lighting is no lighting at all,” Winters said during the commission’s general business discussion.

Why it matters: Winters told commissioners that artificial night lighting harms insects, birds and other wildlife, reduces nocturnal pollination and increases bird collisions during migration. She cited satellite studies showing an annual rise in light pollution and described research linking blue‑white LED spectra to…