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, Lakes and Streams, of the
Natural Resource and Environmental Pr otection 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, 2009.  

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.

2088 Dagget LanePennsylvaniaRe: DEQ File No.
97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County   
Dear Mr. Price,
Your certified letter dated 12/17/07 has been handed to me to respond to.
I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 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 skil lful 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, thei r 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 da m 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 concerns.  My first concern is, aren’t the beavers entitled
to legal representation?  The Spring Pond Beavers are financially d
estitute and are unable to pay for said representation — so the State wi ll
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 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 1/31/2009? 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.

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 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