Summary
In 2009, citizens of Shapleigh, Maine adopted an ordinance banning corporate mining of water within their jurisdiction, recognizing rights of nature, and recognizing nature as “persons” for the purpose of enforcing these rights (2). The ordinance declared “Natural communities and ecosystems possess unalienable and fundamental rights to exist, flourish, and naturally evolve within the Town of Shapleigh.” (1). The people enacted this ordinance after Nestle wanted to mine water from land shared by both Shapleigh and Newfield.
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/shapleigh-water-rights-and-local-self-government-ordinance/.
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