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This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries by the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan.
Wait till you read this guy's response - but read the State's letter before you get to the
response letter.
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,
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, 2003.
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
This is the actual response Ryan DeVries sent back:
Dear Mr. Price:
Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County.
Your certified letter dated 10/17/02 has been handed to me to respond to.
I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson, Michigan. 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 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.
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, 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.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 1/31/2003? 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 prosecuting 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 dam office.
of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan.
Wait till you read this guy's response - but read the State's letter before you get to the
response letter.
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,
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, 2003.
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
This is the actual response Ryan DeVries sent back:
Dear Mr. Price:
Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County.
Your certified letter dated 10/17/02 has been handed to me to respond to.
I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson, Michigan. 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 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.
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, 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.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 1/31/2003? 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 prosecuting 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 dam office.
"On the one
this one
Dis is dam funny!!
+500 points
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