GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Green Bay’s sustainability commission is looking to bring parts of the “Rights of Nature” movement to the city.
The goal is to make the environment more top of mind, but skeptics question whether there could be unintended consequences.
“Nobody is going to be able to sue on behalf of a tree or a stream,” said Green Bay Alderperson Joey Prestley, who says JOSHUA, a social justice group in the area, brought forward the idea of a “Rights of Nature” resolution.
In some parts of the country, the “Rights of Nature” movement has attempted to give natural entities, like rivers and wetlands, human-like legal standing in a court of law.
Prestley says that isn’t the plan here.
“My idea with this resolution would be sort of codifying it for our city to look at the environmental impact sooner in the development process and more thoroughly in the development process,” said Prestley.
The city council had a nearly unanimous vote last month to draft a “Rights of Nature” resolution. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean council members support the intention.
Once a resolution is drafted, the council will take another vote on its merit.
“I’m all about being very environmental — protect wetlands and the environment — but this worries me,” said Green Bay City Council Vice President Bill Galvin.
Galvin says he needs to be convinced the resolution won’t open the city up to litigation.
“I almost got the feeling someone could sue us if we want to cut down a tree, and the tree could sue us because it has rights to be wherever it’s at,” said Galvin. “That might seem ludicrous, but that’s the impression I get by this proposed resolution.”
Prestley used a recent development proposal to build new housing near Red Smith School as an example of why this is needed. He says residents’ environmental concerns fell outside of the purview of federal and state agencies.
“I was looking at the Red Smith development, where we had a lot of neighbors coming up and saying, ‘What about the escarpment? What about the biodiversity there that could be impinged upon? What about the rusty patch bumble bee?’” said Prestley.
It’s expected to take a few months before a resolution is ready for the council’s consideration. The resolution would be non-binding, meaning it would be symbolic in nature.
Milwaukee County passed a similar measure two years ago.
