DNR approves Master Plan variance
for proposed improvements to the
Dark Sky Viewing Area at Newport SP
After reviewing public input, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has approved a Master Plan variance which will allow improvements in the day-use area near Parking Lot 3 at Newport SP. These NWS-planned improvements will address concerns that NWS and park staff have with the current condition of the Dark Sky Viewing Area at Newport, especially when we host an educational or night sky viewing program. (More information about those concerns and how we are proposing to address them is in the ‘background’ section below.)
The approved variance, including additional details about the decision, can be read online. A summary of public comments is included with the variance, or can be accessed separately.
Thank you to everyone who provided input to the DNR, and to those of you who provided input directly to NWS at the Q&A we held in early December. We will keep you updated as the project plans proceed.
Background Information
(reprinted from Nov 30, 2024 NWS e-Newsletter)
NWS has long-recognized the need for improvements to Newport’s dark sky viewing area, located in the day-use venue adjacent to Lot 3. Our concerns with the current condition of the viewing area, especially when we host an educational or night sky viewing program, include:
- no seating is available for program participants;
- there is no footpath to the viewing area;
- adjacent sand dunes are often trampled by visitors seeking the shortest route to/from the venue;
- visitors with mobility issues must traverse a lot of uneven ground to access the program venue;
- spillover light from vehicles in the parking lot interferes with night sky viewing;
- there is no power supply (other than battery/generator) to power AV equipment for a program or the telescopes we transport in for viewing.
Over the past year, the NWS Long-range Planning Committee has been working, in collaboration with the DNR, to design improvements to the viewing area that would specifically address these concerns. Our preliminary plan includes (see illustration below):
- a ground-level, two-tiered, natural stone seating area that could accommodate up to 100 people;
- the seating area will be nestled into a grassy berm that already exists; it is designed not to be visible from the parking lot;
- paths to the viewing area designed to protect adjacent sand dunes and provide safe access for all visitors;
- dark sky-compliant, non-white-light pathway illumination (in use for programs only);
- improvements to Parking Lot 3 to better control spillover light from vehicles, but not to impede the view of Lake Michigan;
- improvements to the size and placement of telescope pads;
- a small, accessible viewing platform overlooking Newport Beach at the end of an already existing asphalt path;
- a small shed near the picnic shelter to store equipment and provide solar-powered charging for equipment, including a recently-acquired Trak-Chair for visitors with mobility challenges.
Terrestrial archeological surveys and a rare plant biological survey have been conducted. No potential negative impacts related to this planned project were found.
Newport received Dark Sky Park certification in 2017. We are Wisconsin’s only Dark Sky Park. Park staff, visiting astronomers, and friends of NWS have provided night sky education programs and viewing opportunities for hundreds of participants since before 2014. On any given evening, visitors come to Newport to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the Milky Way, to identify planets and constellations, or in hope of witnessing some dancing Northern Lights.
NWS understands that the public is passionate about protecting and preserving our ~2,400-acre wilderness park. We are too, and NWS and our dedicated volunteers have been doing that work for 40 years at Newport. NWS hopes the public will be reassured that our plan to improve the dark sky educational and viewing experience for park visitors is specifically designed to support that mission.
