Honorable Carl L. Marcellino
812 Legislative Office Bldg.
Albany, NY 12247

Honorable Joseph L. Bruno
Senate Majority Leader
909 Legislative Office Bldg.
Albany, NY 12247

Honorable Alexander B. Grannis
712 Legislative Office Bldg.
Albany, NY 12248

Gentlemen:

The one hundred twenty members of the Astronomical Society of Long Island, through its duly elected Board, is pleased to officially and strongly endorse the pending light pollution legislation formerly known as the "Healthy, Safe and Energy Efficient Outdoor Lighting Act" - NYS Bill A6950/S3003 as a starting point to its stated goals.

The replacement of poorly designed, wasteful, environmentally damaging, glare producing lighting fixtures with full-cut off luminaires is an urgently needed and long overdue concept which needs aggressive implementation. While A6950/S3003 is laudable, by its very terms it falls far short of its stated legislative intent of "protecting the health, safety, energy, security, environment, and general welfare of the people of the State."

The easily implemented and cost-effective measures contemplated by the cited legislation, if more broadly and powerfully implemented will save pedestrian lives, fossil fuel, protect New York residents from light trespass, and help to restore access to the starry night - long a part of our human heritage.

For all the foregoing reasons, the Astronomical Society of Long Island calls upon the New York Legislature and Governor Pataki to pass A6950/A3003 and then promptly undertake to strengthen the language via amendments to effectuate its stated goals.