Bluff’s journey to become a Dark Sky Community began with its incorporation and a shared belief among residents that the night sky was a powerful resource that should be respected. With incorporation, the Town of Bluff was able to establish its own Planning and Zoning commission to create ordinances needed for the designation.
With the future goal of a community designation in mind, Bluff’s first Planning and Zoning Commission worked on a lighting ordinance that would meet the guidelines. This took many public meetings, hearings, and educational presentations before becoming a reality in December 2019. The lighting ordinance was amended in 2022 to better align with DarkSky guidelines. With the ordinance in place, a Dark Sky committee was established to begin the process of applying.
Beyond enacting regulations to ensure dark sky preservation, communities must demonstrate a commitment to the ordinance. This includes residents and businesses coming into compliance by replacing lighting fixtures or reducing exterior lighting. Communities are also required to monitor and record sky-glow data and provide educational programming about the importance of dark skies. Since 2022, volunteers have been taking baseline readings in and around Bluff, recording the information collected in a database. Since 2016, volunteers have provided community star parties with telescope viewing in hopes of sharing the wonder of the night sky and promoting reverence and respect.
In 2024, a formal partnership between Town of Bluff and Bears Ears Partnership (BEP) was solidified, helping to push the town over the finish line. BEP has agreed to take on educational efforts, providing at least two programs yearly, and sky monitoring on a seasonal basis, ensuring Bluff meets Dark Sky requirements for years to come.