Summary
In 2008, CELDF drafted an ordinance for Newtown Township, Pennsylvania recognizing the rights of nature (4), community rights, and requiring all major land development projects to comply with the township’s comprehensive plan. The ordinance declared that certain types of land development are antithetical to the health, safety, and welfare of the community, its residents, and the environment. The ordinance also recognized rights of residents’ to a healthy environment, to self-governance, and to water.