One place to start is with state environmental quality legislation. Fewer than 20 states have their own environmental quality acts, or "little NEPAs," most of them developed in the 1970s when the environment was high on the national agenda as well. Now more states are considering such legislation, especially as federal rules and enforcement have been gutted and subordinated to the politics of business interests.

Model State Environmental Equality Act of 2007
Chapter 1: Statement of Policy and Intent.

The Legislature finds and declares that it is the policy of the State to do the following:
(A) Recognize that the State holds the environment in public trust for the benefit of all the people of the State, and therefore has an obligation to develop and maintain a high quality environment for present and future generations and to take all action necessary to protect, rehabilitate, and enhance the environmental quality of the State;