Can a river have rights? Everett is finding out

This past election, voters in Everett approved an initiative (24-03) that granted the Snohomish River watershed legally enforceable "rights."

24-03 is part of a broader legal trend called the “rights of nature" movement, an environmental legal theory gaining traction around the world in places like Ecuador, India, and Australia.

Here in the United States, communities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida have tried giving some bodies of water these extended legal designations -- like the right to exist, right to flow, and right to regenerate and flourish -- which proponents say add a layer of protections not covered by regulations. 24-03 passed with 57 percent of the vote.

The success of these efforts, however, has been watered down and challenged by courts and legislatures over issues of jurisdiction and scope -- issues voiced by skeptics of the initiative this past election. 

Soundside visited Everett to talk with proponents and opponents about what these new rights could mean for the Snohomish River now that they've been approved by voters. Additionally, Soundside spoke with a global expert in river rights and policy about how this legal theory works, and where Everett's initiative fits within the broader global movement for environmental personhood. 

Guests:

• Holly James and Abi Ludwig, Standing for Washington, a political action committee advocating for the legal rights of nature in Washington. 
• David Toyer, Toyer Strategic Advisors, a land use and economic development consulting firm in Everett. 

• Dr. Erin O'Donnell, a world-renowned expert in water policy and law. She’s a Senior Lecturer and ARC Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne Law School in Australia. 

Related links:

• City in Washington Votes to Grant Local River Legally Enforceable Right to Exist
• Initiative Text - Snohomish River Watershed Now Has Legal Rights

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