ALAW Explains Goals, How It Operates

From the President Patricia Kennedy for Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water commenting on some comments under its McHenry County Board survey question article:

ALAW logo 2016It seems that there are some folks who are new to the area and may not be familiar with ALAW and what that group stands for and works to accomplish.

With that in mind, here is a brief over view of how ALAW came to be organized.

The Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water (ALAW) was first organized in December 2005 as an association of concerned citizens working as a task force to inform others of the impact of the proposed McHenry County 2020 comprehensive Land Use Plan on the environment, particularly the water supplies and farmland in the county.

ALAW organized as a not-for-profit, 501(c)(4), corporation incorporated October 2, 2006, under the laws of the State of Illinois.

Since the beginning, ALAW has been an advocate for sensible use of our land, agriculture and water resources in the interest of the public good of the county residents.

ALAW was and has continued to be a vibrant group of people of varied political and philosophical concerns, united by their belief that a small group of committed people can bring about change.

ALAW directors freely disagree on many issues and embrace their differences.

ALAW is project driven.

Directors are invited to participate or not participate in projects as they choose, as are members of our large advisory body of supporters and prior directors.

Boethius and Bllbo, to address some of your comments:

Yes, if you read the EPA report you will see that the contamination does reach the groundwater table.

Another point, part of the reason for ALAW’s defense of agricultural land is that those lands provide the major areas for groundwater recharge.

I assume, Boethius, when you speak of high water usage by agriculture you are referring to irrigation.

In McHenry County a very small proportion of agricultural lands are irrigated.

Further, with irrigated ag-land much of the water used infiltrates, returning to the shallow aquifers.

In addition, in today’s economy, ag-chemicals are not a problem in that infiltration.

Is ALAW a “Farm Lobby”?

No, we are a group that understands that without agriculture we have no food (or many other useful and needed things).

Without water none of us can live here.

Water is a finite resource.

That map showing the March of the Red Townships is all too true.

Boethius, you said ALAW wishes “to advance its members interests to the detriment of the people in general.”

Just the opposite is true.

It is our desire that even you will always have abundant, fresh, clean water.

That takes thoughtful planning and adherence to thoughtful and practical ordinances.

That is a large part of what ALAW is about.


Comments

ALAW Explains Goals, How It Operates — 6 Comments

  1. Well said Patricia.

    Thank you for your hard work in return for nothing but aggravation and fulfillment of your own moral motivation to make efforts on behalf of evidence-based good causes.

  2. Even if everything she said is true, which I’m skeptical about, she didn’t deny the most damning charge:

    this is a group of no-development-under-any-circumstances NIMBYs.

  3. What is the purpose of generalized slurs?

    Divert attention from specific statements.

    Fair minded people understand that the evidence based, source cited assertions of ALAW have credibility.

    Thinking people will not be diverted by self-interest driven tactics of name calling without specific evidence to support such charges.

  4. Despite the claimed diversity of opinions, it occurs to me that ALAW hasn’t actually supported any development proposal that I can recall, though they’ve chimed in loudly and often against development.

    Even thoughtful development.

    Conveniently, all of those diverse opinions seem only to result in heterogenous behavior.

  5. Patrickincary:

    Won’t you think of the ground water???

    One contaminated site that is adequately being dealt with by the Illinois Attorney General, Illinois EPA, and US EPA, surely justifies heavy-handed regulation at the county level by a unit of government that has the resources neither to understand the alleged problem nor to effectively deal with it.

    Let’s just implement a policy where no one gets to do anything with their land (excluding farms, natch) just in case.

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