Summary
On October 27, 2023, Milwaukee County became the first county in Wisconsin to pass a “Rights of Nature” resolution. The resolution is aimed at protecting Southeastern Wisconsin’s waterways and bodies of water. It states that “the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors hereby supports the ‘rights of nature’ movement across waterways and bodies of water in Milwaukee County”, and it points to the precedent set by the Menominee, Potawatomi, and Ho-Chunk Tribes, stating that “Milwaukee County recognizes the ‘rights of nature’, which was initially enacted by the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin, as a sacred idea and policy to protect Southeastern Wisconsin’s waterways and bodies of water from human harm; and…whereas, the Menominee, Potawatomi, and Ho-Chunk Tribes have called Milwaukee County home for generations, and the Menominee Tribe passed File No. 19-52 within their tribal government recognizing the inherent rights of the Menominee River to flourish and naturally exist.”
The resolution is non-binding which means this is not a formal law and does not take any specific action.
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/milwaukee-county-u-s-resolution-on-the-rights-of-nature/.
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