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The Dam Situation

Started by Jeff, July 11, 2002, 04:19:13 PM

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Jeff

The following letter and its response are not fiction.The letter was actually sent to a gentleman in Michigan by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, December 17,1997

The actual owner of the property in question subsequently wrote an amusing answer in the wall street journal.

Dear Sir;

It has come to the attention of the department of environmental quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal owner 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 301, Inland Lakes and streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection act 451 of the public laws,annotated.

The department has been notified 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 unauthorized activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flowing condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the strewn channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 1998.

And in reply

To the Department of Environmental Quality:

I am the legal owner of the property in question, and a couple of beavers are in the [State unauthorized] process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris" dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, nor authorize their dam project, I think they would be highly offended if you call their skillful use of natural building materials "debris". I would like to challenge you to attempt to emulate their dam project any dam time and/or any dam place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no dam 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. If you want the dam stream "restored" to a free-flowing condition-contact the beavers-but if you are going to arrest them [they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter-being unable to read English]-be sure to read them their dam Miranda rights first. As for me, I am not going to cause more dam or dam debris jams by interfering with these dam builders.

In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention real environmental quality [health] problem; bears are actually defecating in our woods. I believe you should be prosecuting the defecating and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! [The bears are not careful where they dump.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Paul_H

A few years ago,there was a dead Salmon on our mainline.Someone had run it over,but it was dead before the crew came by.
Word got out that we were running down fish(small town).We received a call from the Forest Service to set up a meeting on site of the slaying.When we arrived to meet,there were no less than 2 men from the Enviroment Ministry(MOE) 1rep for Federal Fisheries(DFO) and 2 from the Forest Service.We were out numbered.

The guy from DFO pulled out pictures of the dead fish on the road,the nearby culvert etc.There were a few grim faces and some tsk tsking.
We never said a word until they had finished and turned to us.One of them said, "this is serious,do you have anything to say"I asked the FS,"Who is the primary road user here?"
"Your company" they responded.
 I asked "who else has a road use agreement?"
FS  "one other company"
I said "that fish had no permit to use that road.He didn't die in the ditch,and we don't drive in fish streams! What the heck is he doing on the road in the first place?"
They started to look around,and found what we knew all along.
The culvert was blocked by a Beaver,forcing the water across the road.One of them said we should keep the debris clear of the culvert.We asked if that was legal to molest our National Rodent?

No it isn't,was the response.But if you are carefull,and nobody is coming....... :-/
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

Bro. Noble

Sounds like them fellers are doing a swell job of spending your tax money.

They ought to arm them with little fly swatters and sick them onto those black flies.  

Noble
milking and logging and sawing and milking

Tom

The really sad story is that those guys, more than likely, live in town, work in an office, drive a gov. vehicle, don't own a thing, learned what they know from a book and a politicion, are wined and dined by environmental lobbyist,and; this was their day in the woods for the month.  It probably had them all excited. :D :D

Bro. Noble

Tom,

This is the sort of job I was thinking about when (on another thread) I said I thought it was more important to be able to sleap at night knowing that you had done something worthwhile than to have an impressive, high-paying job.

I've been in both places.  As a dairyman and sawmiller, I may not get a lot of recognition or monitary reward,  but I feel good about what I do and can live with myself.

Noble
milking and logging and sawing and milking

Paul_H

These guys were very excited :D,and some of them had jumped to confusions,before even meeting us.The one in charge from the FS,knew us for several years.He sat back and never said a word.He is a real common sense type,who quietly tries to solve problems,rather than add to them.He laughed out loud at our response to the charges.

We have worked with all of them since,and have addressed the culvert problem many different ways.But short of trapping the Beaver,there aren't many effective ways of stopping the Dam things.

Anybody have a legal solution? ::)
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

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