Summary
In 2024, a group of residents of Black Mountain, North Carolina drafted a proposed amendment to the Town Charter of Black Mountain to recognize and protect the rights of the Swannanoa River, and to recognize and protect the right of the people of Black Mountain to a healthy Swannanoa River watershed ecosystem. Among other rights, the proposed charter amendment declares the inherent rights of the Swannanoa River Watershed Ecosystem to naturally exist, flourish, regenerate, and evolve.
The draft amendment also recognizes that “The land within which the Town of Black Mountain is now chartered is unceded territory of Cherokee and Catawba peoples. We proposing to codify into law our rights to restore and protect our watershed from the systemic threats and irreparable harm to its ecological integrity, an approach rooted in Indigenous values which regard land and beings as sacred heritage and living legacy.”
The Swannanoa River Watershed Ecosystem Bill of Rights initiative was started in November 2023 by Katherine Winship and Kevin Jones in Nov 2023, and was drafted by Emily Kerscher with assistance from the Community Environment Legal Defense Fund (CELDF). It was adapted from the Ohio River Bill of Rights, Lake Erie Bill of Rights, Wekiva and Econlockhatchee Rivers Bill of Rights, and the Rights of the Haw River Ecosystem Act.
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/black-mountain-u-s-town-ordinance-for-rights-of-the-swannanoa-river/.
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