Slipping a line about how “trees are people, too” into the county planning documents isn’t exactly awarding a constitutional right. Advocates of the Rights of Nature say it’s a significant step, though, toward acknowledging that current protections for native species haven’t saved a number of struggling populations in Boulder County — from the lark bunting to the burrowing owl to the bristlecone pine forest — from being imperiled. But critics fear that embracing the concept of legal rights for flora and fauna sets a dangerous precedent that can lead to further restrictions on property and energy development, as well as genetically modified crops.