Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges Aspen to adopt a 'rights of nature' resolution to protect rivers
Summary
Dr. Lindsey Bridal asked the Aspen City Council to consider a resolution granting legal rights to the Roaring Fork River and its watershed, citing international and domestic precedents and arguing local protections are needed as federal safeguards weaken.
Dr. Lindsey Bridal told the council Aspen has an opportunity to protect its waterways by recognizing "rights of nature," a legal approach that would give ecosystems standing and enforceable protections. She framed the proposal as a local response to weakening federal environmental safeguards and invoked precedents including Ecuador (2008), a New Zealand river case, and Pittsburgh's 2010 ordinance recognizing rights of nature.
Bridal described the Roaring Fork Watershed as part of larger headwaters that affect tens of millions of people and said a local resolution would involve governance and potential litigation mechanisms to secure higher levels of environmental protection. "I urge you to consider this resolution and position Aspen as a leader in water protection and human health," she said, and provided the council with a copy for legal review and redistribution to staff.
