LEGAL STANDING FOR NATURE · WASHINGTON STATE
Who stands up for the trees?
Ecosystems can’t defend themselves in the rooms where their fate is decided. We work to change that: through the courts, through local government, and through the growing movement to give nature a voice in the law.
57%
VOTER APPROVAL
Everett voters approved Initiative 24-03, recognizing the Snohomish River Watershed’s legal standing
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ACTIVE PROJECTS
Legal, legislative, and education work across Washington State
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WATERSHED LAW ON APPEAL
The Snohomish River legal standing law, struck down by a county court, is now being defended on appeal
Our Approach
A legal framework for the natural world.
Plain-English definition
Legal standing is the ability to appear in court and ask for a remedy. Without it, nature is usually defended only indirectly, through human, organizational, or property interests.
The natural world is changing faster than the law that governs it. Legal standing is one way to close that gap.
Our Work
Active cases and projects in Washington.
Legal standing moves from theory into law through real cases, real places, and real communities.
Learn about Rights of Nature
Start with the principles.
Education is central to our work. These pages move from first principles to practical questions: why current law leaves ecosystems out, what legal standing means, and how it could be written into law in Washington today.
Where do you fit in?
More than one way to stand with nature.
Start with the foundations: what it means, why it matters, and how it works in Washington.
Start learning →
Join Standing for Nature and become part of the number we bring into courtrooms and legislative hearings.
Become a Member →
Donations to Standing for Nature fund education, legal strategy, and active cases.
Donate now →
The Rights of Nature Initiative (RONI) is our dedicated coalition project.
Learn about RONI →Where Our Story Took Root
Everett voters stood for the Snohomish River Watershed.
In November 2024, Everett voters approved Initiative 24-03 with 57% of the vote, making Everett the first city in the western United States to recognize the rights of a river watershed. The law recognizes the Snohomish River Watershed's right to exist, regenerate, and flourish, and puts its stewardship in the hands of the Everett community. It protects the watershed's vital work of cleaning water, sustaining wildlife habitat, reducing floods, and supporting a healthy local economy for generations to come.
As the Rights of Nature Initiative, we helped make this victory possible. As Standing for Nature, we’re making sure it lasts.
Latest updates.
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Stay current on the work.
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