Right to Clean Water Charter Amendment Victory

On November 3, 89 percent of Orange County voters turned their Right to Clean Water Charter Amendment into law. Also known as the Wekiva River and Econlockhatchee River Bill of Rights, Orange County is now the largest jurisdiction in the nation to pass this kind of legislation. The historic, bipartisan mandate from the citizens of Orange County ushers in the systemic change Florida needs.

Granting legally recognized rights to nature as a means of securing people’s right to clean water and a healthy planet is the new vanguard of environmental efforts. According to Thomas Linzey, a national Rights of Nature (RON) figure featured during a recent SWFL RESET Center webinar, it also makes Florida the epicenter of the RON movement in the U.S. Similar efforts on behalf of citizens of Southwest Florida and the Caloosahatchee River Watershed will begin soon. Learn more about RON at Youtu.be/XQnr6sxvUj0.

Representatives from LeeRON are available to speak to members of organizations about RON laws in SWFL. Email Karl Deigert at [email protected] to arrange a presentation.

The SWFL RESET Center officially received its nonprofit status and opened an office on the campus of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers, located at 13411 Shire Lane. The center convenes diverse organizations and individuals within our bioregion to address the root causes of harmful environmental policies and practices, creating restorative, ecological, social, economic and transformative systemic solutions. Learn more at swflreset.org.

Growing Climate Solutions

The city of Naples and Estero recently joined Marco Island, Everglades City, Charlotte County, Sanibel and Punta Gorda in endorsing the Southwest Florida Regional Resiliency Compact (SWFRC). This initiative is an agreement between its members, SWFL counties and municipal governments to collaboratively identify, prepare for, adapt to and mitigate climate change impacts. Members of SWFRRC are committed to identifying common climate change vulnerability assessment methodologies, strategies for adaptation and mitigation actions that will enhance the resiliency of their communities, learning from each other’s prior efforts and planning documents, leveraging resources; and pursuing public-private partnerships. The compact addresses sea level rise, water quality, harmful algal blooms, erosion, greenhouse gas emissions, heat events, droughts, flooding and intensifying hurricanes. Learn more at GrowingClimateSolutions.org.