As a biologist who studies ecosystems and has worked on “rights of nature” issues internationally, I find it genuinely exciting to see ideas like the Watersheds Bill of Rights emerging here in Lane County.

Around the world, there is a growing movement to rethink how the law treats the natural systems we depend on, not as property to be managed, but as living systems with inherent rights to persist and regenerate. This shift reflects a simple reality: Our current regulatory frameworks often allow environmental harm up to a legal threshold, rather than preventing it.

At the same time, pressures on forests and watersheds are not static. Across the western United States, ongoing debates about land management reflect increasing tension between resource extraction and long-term ecological function. In this context, it is not surprising that communities are exploring new approaches.

Measures like the proposed Lane County Watersheds Bill of Rights (Measure 20-373) are part of that broader effort. They represent an attempt to change the baseline, from asking how much impact is acceptable to asking what it means to truly protect a watershed.

It is true that this approach is legally broad and will likely be shaped through the courts, raising real questions about implementation and cost. That is not unique to Lane County. These same tensions have emerged in other places where similar frameworks are being tested.

Even so, I believe this measure reflects an important step toward stronger protections for clean water and biodiversity, and I support it as part of that larger trajectory and a broader global movement to rethink our relationship with the natural world.

Tobias Policha
Springfield