A new initiative aims to double the number of International Dark Sky Parks in Colorado.

That would be the result if 12 state parks were to gain the designation, as Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently announced in conjunction with the governor’s office and Colorado Tourism Office.

The International Dark Sky designation is said to be metrics-based, requiring light meter readings, infrastructure analysis, monitoring plans and light-mitigating commitments and education, all detailed in an application. The state’s chapter of the international organization, DarkSky Colorado, has pledged to help certify these 12 state parks, plus Sweetwater Lake:

• Crawford.

• Eleven Mile.

• Elkhead Reservoir.

• Golden Gate Canyon.

• Highline Lake.

• John Martin Reservoir.

• Mueller.

• Rifle Gap.

• State Forest.

• Steamboat Lake.

• Staunton.

• Trinidad Lake.

The announced collaboration comes a month after Browns Canyon National Monument was announced as the state’s 12th Dark Sky Park. Northern Colorado’s Jackson Lake is the only state park on the list, including also Great Sand Dunes and Black Canyon of the Gunnison national parks and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

“Dark sky preservation is a growing priority statewide,” CPW Deputy Director Heather Disney Dugan said in a news release. “Through this program, participating areas will help lead the way in showing how tourism and environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand.”

Light pollution, according to DarkSky International, “disrupts wildlife, impacts human health, wastes money and energy, contributes to climate change and blocks our view of the universe.”

Those points were mentioned in House Bill 22-1382, which Gov. Jared Polis signed in his efforts to promote dark skies. The bill considered the view “inherent to the character and allure of the state” and called light pollution a “growing problem.” The bill also recognized tourism benefits.

The state park initiative “will encourage visitor exploration of hidden gems in rural communities, provide educational opportunities for guests and promote off-peak-season travel,” the news release read.

On its website, DarkSky International maps 130 Dark Sky Parks worldwide, including 92 in the Unites States. Colorado is also home to eight Dark Sky Communities, including Westcliffe, Crestone and Ridgway.