A river in Washington State now has enforceable legal rights. Voters in Everett, a community of about 110,000, enshrined the watershed’s rights to exist, regenerate and flourish into municipal law as part of a ballot initiative in November. The measure passed with 57 percent of the vote and follows a series of non-binding resolutions in towns across Washington state recognizing that endangered Southern Resident Orcas have a right to life and to be free from pollution.
The Everett ballot measure was supported by the political action committee Standing for Washington. Abi Ludwig, its spokesperson, called the new law a “game-changer for the environment.”
“By granting legal standing to the watershed, Everett is boldly safeguarding its natural resources,” Ludwig said in a press release. “This critical move empowers nature with both a voice and the legal tools it needs to defend itself.”
