by Snohomish County Community Rights, April 15, 2024
Standing for Washington is dedicated to supporting legislation and citizen initiatives that advance the Rights of Nature (RON) in Washington state. Its mission is to promote the idea that nature has inherent rights that should be protected and preserved, just like human rights, and that nature should be given legal standing to support those rights.
For the Earth Day 2024, Standing for Washington is launching a signatures-gathering and educating campaign in several municipalities, including Everett, to get initiatives on the ballots this fall. If passed, the laws would give legal standing to some of the watersheds in our state. And the Snohomish River Watershed is one of them.
Watersheds are like the lifeblood of our environment, and protecting them is crucial because they serve several important functions for the health and vitality of our communities:
- Clean Water: Healthy watersheds act as natural filters, removing pollutants and sediment from rainwater and snowmelt before it reaches rivers, lakes, and ultimately, our drinking water supplies. Damaged watersheds allow these contaminants to flow freely, jeopardizing water quality.
- Healthy Ecosystems: Watersheds provide vital habitats for a diverse range of plants and animals. Protecting them safeguards these ecosystems and the interconnected web of life they support.
- Reduced Flooding: Healthy watersheds with healthy vegetation absorb rainwater and snowmelt, reducing the risk of flooding downstream. Damaged watersheds with less vegetation experience faster runoff, leading to flash floods and erosion.
- Economic Benefits: Healthy watersheds support recreation like fishing, swimming, and boating, which are important for tourism and local economies. Additionally, clean water is essential for agriculture and industry.
- Sustainability: Protecting watersheds ensures a sustainable future. We rely on them for our most basic needs, and by safeguarding them, we ensure clean water and healthy ecosystems for generations to come.
By recognizing watersheds as legal entities with rights, it becomes possible to advocate for their protection in a more structured and potentially more effective manner, independent of the limitations that governments face.
Visit Blog Post by Snohomish County Community Rights, April 15, 2024.
