Bill > AJR114

This resolution recognizes the inherent rights of nature and Wisconsin's deep commitment to environmental stewardship by acknowledging the state's diverse ecosystems, its historical legacy of environmental conservation, and the profound ecological knowledge of Indigenous communities. The resolution highlights Wisconsin's environmental leaders like Aldo Leopold, John Muir, and Gaylord Nelson, and emphasizes the importance of Indigenous perspectives on land relationships, specifically mentioning several tribal nations. It introduces the concept of "rights of nature" as a framework that grants legal rights to ecosystems and species, recognizing nature's intrinsic value and right to exist, evolve, and regenerate. The resolution also addresses urgent environmental challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecological degradation, suggesting that recognizing nature's rights can provide new legal tools for protecting air, land, wildlife, water, and future generations. By framing environmental protection through this rights-based approach, the resolution seeks to reaffirm the moral and legal responsibility of governments to safeguard the natural systems essential to all life.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/asm/joint_resolution/ajr114