Beavers
Click on the file below for an article about beavers by Chuck Fergus courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Not sure what you would think of this book Emerald, but it I thought it great. But then again, I may be more of a romantic than you!Originally Posted by emerald
http://www.hoperyden.com/lily_pond__...avers_1392.htm
and penguins
If you find yourself in a fair fight; your tactics suck.
save a tree...
......................
Last edited by kanga; 12-12-2010 at 18:22.
This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania. This guy's response is hilarious, but read The State's letter before you get to the response letter.
State of Pennsylvania's letter to Mr. DeVries:
SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming 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 Pennsylvania 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, 2007.
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 and Water Management Division.
Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:
Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr. Price,
Your certified letter dated 12/17/06has been handed to me to respond to. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane, Trout Run, Pennsylvania.
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.
These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. 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 Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)
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 damed 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 1/31/2007 ? 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. 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 dam 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.
THANK YOU,
RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS
Snopes says the overall story is true, but it happened in MI. The PA version is a highjack. http://www.snopes.com/humor/letters/dammed.asp
Still a funny old story.
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett
...beat a beaver! No wait, that can't be right...
cheat a beaver? delete? fete? heat? meet? neat? seat?
I give up ... What are you trying to say?
You never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns
When they all did tricks for you.
trap a beaver. sell the pelt
Not sure of the market for beaver pelts, L. Wolf.
I would look into it, but Sara Palin's Alaska is coming on soon.
She is giving Kate Plus Eight Gosselin and her kids some tips on camping in bear country, so its a not miss episode.
That would be a treat, but I refuse to pay for cable and I don't watch enough TV to justify installing the antenna someone gave me.
Good day for waterfowl today at Middle Creek WMA and Blue Marsh Lake where I saw 8 common loons.
Pennsylvania Game Commission's Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is an Important Bird Area of global significance where up to about 30 percent of the world's tundra swans stage before taking off for the Canadian tundra each spring.
Last edited by emerald; 12-12-2010 at 23:49.
Beaver Sprite
When I was a kid, we stopped by Beaver Sprite in NY.
The owners had beaver come and go into their house through a converted transition area in their garage.
A beaver never looks bigger than when you are a kid seeing it climb up on a sofa.
They later converted their property into a wildlife sanctuary, but I don't think visitors get the same intimate experience with beaver any more.
A former co-worker made extra money in Northern Virginia by trapping nuisance beaver. I don't know what he got for pelts, but he got paid a set amount plus a bounty for each critter.
Ohhhh, you mean the animals.
"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do."
-Bob Dylan
It's a good thing that the new baordwalk we are putting in at Pawling by the Metro North train stop is built on metal piles for the beaver have become very active in the area and flooded the small stream to the side and built dams clear out in the medows. I am sure they won't chew on the piles but not sure how well the boardwalk will hold up when they start to fall the 70ft willows along the bank.
Often Accused, Often Guilty but Seldom Guilty of What I am Accused.
They do like willows!It's a good thing that the new baordwalk we are putting in at Pawling by the Metro North train stop is built on metal piles for the beaver have become very active in the area and flooded the small stream to the side and built dams clear out in the medows. I am sure they won't chew on the piles but not sure how well the boardwalk will hold up when they start to fall the 70ft willows along the bank.
Don't worry, it will be good bird habitat regardless!I am sure they won't chew on the piles but not sure how well the boardwalk will hold up when they start to fell the 70ft willows along the bank.
Spell it like it's spoken!
So, who (who, who, who, who cooks for you) can spell beaver as Mainers speak it?
I just got back from borrowing a spotting scope from a family member, where I caught the last 10 minutes of Lower Heidelberg's most famous resident hanging out with Sarah Palin.
It's no wonder I turned off my television someone else bought for me over 10 years ago. I'm not sure the scenery made up for the lack of a story line.
I did enjoy the comment when one of them said, "She bitched from the moment she got off the plane."
We can only hope these tips are as accurate as her thoughts on geography and world affairs.[Sarah Palin] is giving Kate Plus Eight Gosselin and her kids some tips on camping in bear country --Rickb
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