After Florida’s governor preempted a pending Orange County charter amendment that would protect two rivers, a local advocacy group sued, testing a growing movement known as Rights of Nature.

Orange County, FL: It was business as usual today, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis elevating the interests of polluters over protections for the people and waterways of his state. Today, DeSantis signed the mis-named “Clean Waterways Act.”

Across the state, Florida waterways are under siege. …In response to those threats, however, people in nine Florida counties, including Alachua, have begun to demand stronger water protections.