This is
wonderful! An actual event to show the foolishness that is going
on in our country. Send this on.
Virginia
This was an actual
letter sent to Ryan De Vries from The Michigan Department
of Environmental
Quality, State of Michigan. One must read the entire letter
and response to
enjoy the full significance of arrogant, ignorant government
bureaucrats.
Enjoy!
======================================================
Mr. Ryan De
Vries
2088 Dagget
Pierson, MI 49339
Dear Mr. De Vries:
SUBJECT: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County
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, 1998.
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RESPONSE
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 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:
(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 Laws, annotated.
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 (they
obviously did not pay
any attention to your dam letter being unable to
read English) -- be sure
they are read the Miranda rights first. As for
me, I am not going to
cause more flooding or dam debris jams by
interfering with these dam
builders.
If you want to hurt these dam beavers - be aware I am sending
a copy of
your dam letter and this response to PETA.
If your dam
department seriously finds all dams of this nature
inherently hazardous and
truly will not permit their existence in this
State, I seriously hope you
are not selectively enforcing this dam
policy or once again both the Spring
Pond Beavers and I will scream
prejudice! 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
1/31/98?
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 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 day office via another
government organization - the dam USPS.
Maybe, someday, it will get there.
Sincerely,
Stephen L. Tvedten
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