Staff Report
More than one billion birds die annually in the United States in collisions with buildings due to light pollution from non-shielded rural and urban lights in both residential and commercial spaces.
In an effort to help prevent this, Hays County Commissioners unanimously approved a Lights Out Hays County proclamation during the commissioners court meeting on March 29, naming March through June 15 and Aug. 15 through November 2022 as “Lights Out Hays County.”
The proclamation is part of a collaborative effort to propose and implement solutions that dramatically reduce hazards to migrating birds, allowing them to safely proceed with their journeys during critical migration periods.
The Lights Out Texas program is a statewide collaborative effort of education, awareness and action run by Texas by Nature and Texas Audubon that focuses on protecting the nearly two billion birds that travel through Texas annually.
The proclamation asks businesses, residents and governments to turn off non-essential lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during spring migration season, which lasts from March 1 through June 15, and fall migration season, which lasts from Aug. 15 though Nov. 30.
The proclamation states that birds are important to the Texas economy, helping to control the population of pest insects, and are essential to the ecology of the planet, providing ecosystem services, acting as benchmarks for environmental health, increasing livability and connecting people of all ages and abilities to the natural world.
Locally, they directly impact the Hays County Birding Trail, which attracts tourists and local birders who contribute to the local economy.
Hays County will work with the collaborative team organized by Hays County Friends of the Night Sky to provide information to the public about the Lights Out campaign, the impacts of lights on bird migration and the benefits of reducing light pollution and energy consumption.
More light pollution prevention tips can be found at www.texanbynature.org/projects/lights-out-texas.
