Watersheds Bill of Rights Heads to Lane County Voters

Lane County voters will decide next May whether to adopt a sweeping environmental measure that would give watersheds, ecosystems, and wildlife legal rights of their own.

Measure 20-373, known as the “Watersheds Bill of Rights,” proposes granting nature the right to “naturally exist, flourish, regenerate and evolve.” It also affirms residents’ right to clean and affordable water.

If approved, the measure would allow individuals to sue businesses, corporations, or government agencies for infringing on those rights. Lane County would then be required to enforce and defend the law. Violators could be ordered to restore damaged watersheds and pay an additional 1% of restoration costs for every day the harm remained unaddressed after being reported. Collected fines would be directed to the county for enforcement.

Chief petitioner Michelle Holman explains that the proposal is aimed at curbing corporate pollution, particularly chemical spraying by the timber industry and other dumping practices. She’s also argued that existing laws fail to adequately protect local ecosystems.

“When you go to your Congress people, when you go to your regulatory agencies, when you talk to corporate heads, they will tell you this is all legal,” Holman told KLCC in an interview. “Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s right.”

Petitioners began circulating the measure in October 2023 and submitted more than 14,000 signatures this August, securing a spot on the ballot.