When I decide how to vote on a measure, I look at who is funding the campaigns. For Measure 20‑373, which would give legal rights to watersheds in Lane County, it was no surprise to see large timber companies among the major opposition donors. Ending aerial herbicide spraying over our watersheds directly challenges their practices.

What did surprise me was seeing Koch Government Affairs listed as a major donor. They are a national political actor that typically engages in large‑scale policy debates, not local county measures. When a group with that profile invests in a Lane County vote, it suggests the stakes extend beyond our region and involve broader interests in how natural resources are governed.

Recognizing rivers and watersheds as living systems — not just resources for extraction — challenges industries that profit from pollution and depletion. The Rights of Nature movement is gaining momentum around the world, and Lane County now has a rare chance to join it, protect our water and push back against outside influence.

This is a moment for our community to act. I urge voters to support Measure 20‑373.

Roger Knudson
Eugene