Summary
On August 8, 2022, the Board of Trustees and Town Attorney of Grand Lakes, Colorado approved the “Rights of Nature Resolution for the Grand Lake Watershed” which recognizes Grand Lake, its watershed, and its life forms as a living entity that possesses fundamental and inalienable rights, such as the right to “existence, integral health, regeneration, natural evolution, and restoration” (3). The Resolution also recognizes that the Grand Lake Watershed functions as an interdependent system of natural communities (3). The resolution expresses support for enhancing protection and stewardship of Grand Lake through recognizing the rights of Nature, and calls upon the State of Colorado to also enhance state protection of lakes, waterways, and riparian ecosystems (2).
The Resolution also recognizes that Grand Lake is the ancestral homeland of the Ute people who consider the lake a sacred place, known as Spirit Lake (2).
Although the resolution is not an ordinance that possesses legal authority, it serves as a model for how the community should interact with Nature throughout the Grand Lake watershed, and offers a strong statement about the town’s values and and it’s vision for the future. Its objective is to make the rights enumerated in this resolution be a consideration in future Town decisions and actions that might impact the Grand Lake Watershed, such as laws, policies, programs, etc. “so that Nature and current and future generations of humans may thrive together in harmony within the town, the watershed, and the surrounding wild landscapes” (4).
Involved Organizations
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/grand-lake-colorado-rights-of-nature-resolution-for-the-grand-lake-watershed/.
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