Summary
In 2015, Fulton County Common Sense Energy Coalition and CELDF proposed a charter for Fulton County, Ohio. The charter would have recognized rights of nature, claiming “Ecosystems within the County of Fulton, including, but not limited to, rivers, streams, wetlands, and aquifers, possess the right to exist, flourish, and naturally evolve, free from activities prohibited by this Charter and other local enactments.” Even though the petition had enough signatures, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted ruled that the charter was invalid. The petitioners challenged this in the Ohio Supreme Court. The court found that Husted did not have the authority to invalidate the charter initiative, but it still kept his decision to keep the charter off the ballot.
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/fulton-county-charter/.
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