The Back Alley Archives

This past weekend, my brother and his family came to visit us. We went for a walk near dusk in our local park (Sligo Creek Park, for Toothy's reference), and what did we see?

BEAVER! Two of them, actually. One stayed in the water building a dam (a dam what?) and this fellow kind of chewed on weeds the whole time we stood around and stared at him. My sister-in-law took a bunch of pictures, but this is the only one she sent to me.

[img]http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k10/D ... beaver.jpg[/img]

Who knew that there were beavers inside the D.C. beltway?

I hear some beavers can weight upwards of 60 pounds!

very hairy that beaver.

vile rodent.

^^
:yeahdat

They can certainly mess things up

I recvd this years ago and laughed my butt off. I located it, thanks to Google! Maybe a bit of a lengthy read but funny nonetheless.

The infamous beaver dam story

This story has been circulating for several years. Is is true? Is it a satire? In an age where public servants follow the letter of the law even if it means imprisoning innocent people or killing small children, does it matter? Laws are intended to facilitate justice and keep the peace. Therefore, the spirit of the law would promote the facilitation of justice and keeping of the peace. Public servants who follow the letter of the law and who have lost sight of its spirit are a menace to the peace and dignity of our communities. So enjoy the following and try to believe it's a total fabrication and try not to associate the dam/beaver story with the actions of your favorite government agent.

Mr. Ryan DeVries
2088 Dagget, Pierson, MI 49339


SUBJECT: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County

Dear Mr. DeVries:

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 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated. 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, 2002.

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,

David L. Price
District Representative
Land and Water Management Division


***

Dear Mr. Price,

Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County

Your certified letter dated 12/17/97 has been handed to me to respond to. First of all, Mr. Ryan De Vries is not the legal landowner and/or contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson, Michigan. I am the legal owner 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, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natural 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. As to our 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 (1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers or (2) Do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?

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 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled.

I have several concerns. My first 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 their dam names. If you want the stream “restored” to a dam free-flow condition, please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them be aware that they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter due to inability 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. They have more dam right 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 1/31/2002? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them then.

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

Being 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 via another government organization -- the dam USPS. Maybe, someday, it will get there.

Sincerely,

Stephen L. Tvedten

that's good stuff.

See that??? That guy recognizes Bears as a problem, as well...the dam bears.

According to Snopes, the "beaver dam" story is true.

Dam bears and beavers.

I knew that would 'stir the pot' a1 & hater

docZ is all about verifying shiz today. nice work.

Who knew that there were beavers inside the D.C. beltway?

wasn't it just last year or so that they had to trap one in the tidal basin because it was chewing down the cherry trees that are such a national treasure there.

95, looks like it happened in '99...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/lo ... eaver8.htm

Beaver Continues to Dine on Tidal Basin

The tree-toppling beaver of the Tidal Basin was still at large last night after felling four more trees. The timber toll now stands at nine since last Thursday, and National Park Service officials say they are looking for a humane way to try to trap the animal.

dam time flies


pun intended.

Royal Spanish jailbait's ears perk up.