Resolution 1037 – Establish Rights of the Snake River
Establish Rights of the Snake River
WHEREAS, the Snake River is a vital watercourse that, when free-flowing, encompasses a diverse and vital ecological system that includes rivers, streams, wetlands, forests, and wildlife habitats essential to the health and well-being of numerous environments and species; and
WHEREAS, the Snake River is critical to the cultural heritage and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples, who have long maintained a deep connection to and stewardship of the land and waters within this region (1), evidenced by several Tribal and Indigenous Nations having officially recognized the rights of Rivers, including the Klamath (2); Whanganui River (3); Laje River (4); and,
WHEREAS, the health of the Snake River is in decline due to human caused pollution, damming, over-extraction, habitat loss, and extreme temperature swings and precipitation variations due to climate change, thus diminishing its capacity to support life and to provide essential ecosystem benefits to dependent species and environments. (5); and,
WHEREAS, recognizing the inherent rights of rivers acknowledges the intrinsic value of nature beyond its utility to humans, thus enabling enforcement of those rights in law. (6)
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Washington State Democratic Central Committee calls for establishing Rights of the Snake River that entitles it to flow freely, maintain its natural ecological functions and processes including the health and integrity of its waters, banks, and surrounding habitats; the right to flourish, evolve, and sustain the natural migration and spawning of fish vital to the survival of Southern Resident Orcas, a critically endangered species (7); the right to be protected from activities that harm its ecological balance; the right to clean and unpolluted water which is essential for the health of the river and the well-being of all species and ecosystems that rely on it,
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that as a rights holder, the Snake River will have legal standing to secure representation to uphold those rights, and
THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution be forwarded to the Washington State Governor and all Washington State House and Senate Democrats.
References:
1. Nez Perce Tribal General Council resolution recognizing the rights of the Snake River http://files.harmonywithnatureun.org/uploads/upload980.pdf
2. Resolution establishing the rights of the Klamath River https://ecojurisprudence.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/US_Klamath_Resolution-Establishing-Rights-of-the-Klamath-River_168.pdf
3. Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017 https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/7/1/13
4. The city of Guajará-Mirim in Brazil approved the first law in Brazil that recognizes the legal rights of a river belonging to the Amazon region. https://ecojurisprudence.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Brazil-Rondonia-Rights-of-Laje-River-2.pdf
5. Rights of Nature: Rivers That Can Stand in Court https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/7/1/13
6. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service: Rebuilding Interior Columbia Basin Salmon and Steelhead https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/rebuilding-interior-columbia-basin-salmon-and-steelhead
7. NOAA Southern Resident Killer Whale (Orcinus orca). In 2005, the Southern Resident killer whale was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/endangered-species-conservation/southern-resident-killer-whale-orcinus-orca