Cincinnati (USA) City Charter Amendment: rights for the Ohio River watershed

Summary

On April 18, 2023, Citizens for Rights of the Ohio River Watershed (CROW) – a citizen group in Cincinnati, Ohio – in collaboration with CELDF, launched a petition to get a charter amendment establishing a Bill of Rights for the Ohio River Watershed on the ballot in Cincinnati, which would codify the Ohio river’s rights into local law. CROW needs 5,246 valid signatures to qualify for the amendment to get on the ballot – providing Cincinnati voters the chance to move ahead with establishing legal rights for the river. The proposed amendment to Article 1 of the Charter of the City of Cincinnati states: the Ohio River Watershed Ecosystem within the City of Cincinnati’s jurisdiction has specific rights to: exist, flourish, self-organize, regenerate, flow, floodplain connectivity, freedom from pollution, and health (Section 4). The text also acknowledges that “this is approach is rooted in the ancient world view of the Indigenous people of this land who regard streams, lands and forests as a sacred heritage and a living legacy.”

The amendment would establish an “Ecosystem Advocate” – a resident that serves to advocate for the ecosystem’s interests and who is authorized to create procedural rules to effectuate this Article within the City of Cincinnati’s legal jurisdiction – as well as an “Ohio River Ecosystem Advisory Commission” that will support the Ecosystem Advocate in protecting the Ecosystem’s interests. Any resident may apply to be an Ecosystem Advocate, and the City Council must appoint a resident to serve as an Ecosystem Advocate within sixty days of certification of this Charter Amendment. The legislation states that “the Ecosystem Advocate must be selected based on qualifications that demonstrate an ability to protect the Ecosystem,” and “due diligence should be taken to ensure an Ecosystem Advocate embodies or is informed by local Indigenous knowledge as well as by ecological science.” (Section 5)

The local group formed after doing research on Rights of Nature with the passage of the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) in 2019. The Ohio River has been listed as the most polluted River in the United States by the EPA for many years.

Involved Organizations