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EAC dark‑sky subcommittee weighs outreach and voluntary steps to reduce light pollution and bird collisions
Summary
The Environmental Advisory Council's dark‑sky subcommittee plans targeted outreach to businesses, use of bird‑mortality data and voluntary "lights‑out" events as first steps to reduce nighttime illumination and window collisions that kill migratory birds.
A dark‑sky subcommittee of the Erie Environmental Advisory Council reported April 24 that it will begin outreach to building owners and community partners to reduce light pollution and bird collisions, using existing avian mortality data to prioritize contacts.
Subcommittee members said they are not yet recommending an ordinance but will pursue voluntary outreach, incentives and event‑based interventions as initial measures. "Maybe we can work with them outside of an ordinance. Maybe have a representative contact with those entities to talk to them," one member said, urging conversations with property owners before considering regulatory action.
Nut graf: The group plans to coordinate with the Erie Bird Observatory and other partners to obtain GIS data on bird mortality, identify hotspots, run voluntary lights‑out events and discuss window‑collision mitigation measures with owners of glass‑heavy buildings, including planned projects such as the Kate and Company development.
Members said simple changes — turning nonessential lights off at night, switching off illuminated signage when not needed, and installing bird‑safe treatments on glass — can reduce casualties and save energy. The subcommittee noted an external finding discussed in the meeting that only a small percentage of bird collisions are directly observed at building sites; one member cited an estimate that "only 4 percent" of collisions are found where they occur, underscoring the need for mapped data.
Council members reported they have reached out to the Erie Bird Observatory and secured potential meeting dates with the observatory's director to review mortality maps and coordinate follow‑up. The subcommittee also suggested a positive recognition program (stickers or signage) for buildings that adopt bird‑friendly practices.
Ending: The subcommittee will convene with bird‑conservation partners, review mortality data to identify priority sites and then begin targeted outreach to property owners and developers; ordinance options remain under consideration only after voluntary approaches are attempted.
