The Dam Permits

[Whitlock]

State of Department of Environmental Quality wrote:
SUBJECT: DEQ
File No.12-40-9976; T11N; R1W, Sec 2; Lyching County

Dear Mr. Jones:
It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:

Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.

A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 698 Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 458 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 675.69886 to 675.69898 of the State Compiled Laws.

The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2009.

Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action.

We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.

Sincerely, John Q. Costmore
District Representative and Water Management Division.
Here is Mr. Jones' response:The Landowner wrote:
Re: DEQ File
File No.12-40-9976; T11N; R1W, Sec 2; Lynching County

Dear Mr. Costmore,
I am the lawful landowner of the land in question at, 8802 Tagged Lane, Fishing River; regarding your certified letter dated 11/7/07; which was handed to me for a response, though I am the legal landowner I am not the dam builders.

A couple of beavers are in the area without authorization and they seem to be in the process of constructing and maintaining two wood 'debris' dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond, which sits on my land. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials 'debris.'

I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/ or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.


The dam builders you seem to be seeking are beavers not contractors. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.

My first dam question to you is:
Are you trying to discriminate against the Spring Pond Beavers; or,
do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to such dam building requests?
If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. (Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 698 Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 458 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 675.69886 to 675.69898 of the State Compiled Laws.)

I have several dam concerns:
My first dam concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation — so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.

The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.

If you want the dammed stream 'restored' to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers — but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.

In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. Apparently, they have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).

So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2009? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice by then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them.

In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area; it is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods and failing to clean up after themselves. I definitely believe you should be going after the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your dam step; the bears are not careful where they dump!

Being unable to forward your concerns to the Beavers, and otherwise unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.

Thank you,
Mr. Jones the Landowner

[glenn kangiser]

I like beavers. 

[StinkerBell]

Thanks! It gave me such a chuckkle to read that.

[MountainDon]

speaking of busy beavers...






The cottonwood is in the Jemez just off the highway

[glenn kangiser]

Industrious....

We have a group of them in the creek south of town.  Lots of Beaver trees.

[dug]

they have been working in my neck of the woods also

[dug]

And they didn't have a permit!

[glenn kangiser]

Wow  - that's wild -- that one looks just like a dog....




[ouch]

[rwanders]

    What a hoot!  Here in Alaska, landowners around Anchorage have been jumped by the Feds for "harassing" beavers trying to build dams across streams-----as usual, they are somewhat confused about their mission/role in society. God save us!

[glenn kangiser]

hmm The Feds or the Beavers.... or both? ...

[rwanders]

The Fed's of course----the beavers know exactly what they are doing all the time and how to do it well too. 

[pagan]

It's enlightening how the initial letter is written without any request for the landowner to comment or explain, only that the landowner will fully comply with the demands being made or else...

"...elevated enforcement action."

Nothing says we care about your rights like threatening you with the use of the police. Think about a SWAT team storming your house. The threat's in the letter to scare you into complying with government demands.

[poppy]

Wow  - that's wild -- that one looks just like a dog....

Now, that's funny right there. 

[MountainDon]

Snopes has some interesting background on this

http://www.snopes.com/humor/letters/dammed.asp