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Mount Vernon proclaims April 13–19 as International Dark Sky Week
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Summary
Mount Vernon City Council adopted a proclamation recognizing International Dark Sky Week (April 13–19, 2026), citing light‑pollution impacts on ecology, human health and pollinators and encouraging residents and businesses to use responsible outdoor lighting.
Mount Vernon’s City Council on April 15 adopted a proclamation designating April 13–19, 2026, as International Dark Sky Week for the city.
The proclamation, read into the record by a councilmember, cites scientific and economic concerns about light pollution — including effects on nocturnal pollinators and an assertion that excessive artificial lighting contributes to lost energy resources — and notes Mount Vernon’s affiliation with the Xerces Society’s Bee City USA initiative since 2022. The document encourages residents, public bodies and businesses to follow five principles of responsible outdoor lighting: useful, targeted, low‑level, controlled and warm‑colored lighting.
Council members discussed practical tradeoffs between night‑sky preservation and safety: one councilmember said street LED fixtures can appear brighter than older incandescent lights and stressed that public safety must be balanced with environmental goals. The proclamation will serve as a public‑education tool, the council said, and members thanked volunteers and staff who have worked on related environmental and pollinator efforts.
No formal action beyond the proclamation was required; the council moved on to other agenda items after the reading.
