Lane County Measure 20-373 didn’t lose — it was overwhelmed by a well-funded disinformation campaign financed by corporate interests that profit from the degradation and pollution of our environment. Follow the money. That alone should have raised serious questions for voters.

The fearmongering about an avalanche of lawsuits came straight from the corporate anti-environmental playbook. Similar laws exist around the world, and citizen lawsuits remain rare because environmental litigation is costly, complex and time-consuming. Very few people have the resources to pursue such cases.

These scare tactics were pushed by corporations that profit from Lane County’s natural resources while local communities and ecosystems bear the consequences. Many of the people funding the opposition don’t even live here. Why else would powerful interests like the Koch network invest so heavily against this measure?

And contrary to misinformation spread during the campaign, neighbors could not have sued neighbors. The measure clearly applied to harms caused by corporations, government agencies and business entities — not individual residents.

Despite the outcome, our campaign was honest, tireless and community-driven. Volunteers showed up at public forums, organized events, knocked on doors and engaged voters across multiple platforms. Because of that work, more people than ever now support legal protections for the natural world.

We will not turn our backs on our watersheds or on the more than one-third of Lane County voters who supported the Rights of Nature initiative. We are obligated to future generations, and honored to protect Lane County’s precious watersheds. We won’t/don’t give up.

Michelle Holman
Chief petitioner, Lane County Measure 20-373
Deadwood