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  • From: Rick Valley <bamboogrove@cmug.com>
  • To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Re: Beaver
  • Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 13:28:35 -0700

Beaver love fruit trees- at least pear & apple; they'll travel 100 yards at
least to get them.
also....
poplars
willows
I have planted lots of willow cuttings to make an area attractive to them.
They also accept donations, as in prunings.

When the couple who started the Wetland Conservancy in Tualatin Oregon
finally got the marsh alongside their pioneer farmhouse protected from
draining and development, over a couple of nights the resident beaver
abducted their entire dwarf apple orchard. Gone. Next they tried to dam the
tennis courts across the road downstream, (I was rooting for 'em there!) but
the city abducted them. I've read of how to put pipes into dams to drain
them- breaches they will doggedly repair. Dry dams they find discouraging.
Here in Orygun they will roughly girdle Western Redcedars, leaving them
barely alive and mostly defoliated. This lets sun in along forested creeks,
so underbrush increases. Makes nice perches for Ospreys, raptors,
kingfishers too.

They don't much enjoy dogs and electric fences


> I had even thought of trying to import some beaver. But
> several locals say they might become real problems/nuisance.

once they have a population established, the yearlings head out to make new
homes. They can show up in curious places as they explore.
An established family can pick up their gear (incl. dam!) and move to a
better food supply. If living is easy, a dam can get very tall over time, a
whole primary valley can get terraced, and cuttings used in dam construction
can grow. They definitely change things.
With local regulations here in Oregon, it is difficult and costly to build a
dam on a stream, so hiring beaver is probably the best option in most
circumstances.
-Rick

You've seen this bit of E-folklore before?

> ***************************
> 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
>
> *******************
> This is the actual response sent back......
>
> Dear Mr. Price,
>
> Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County.
>
> Your certified letter dated 12/17/01 has been handed to me to respond to.
>
> First of all, Mr. Ryan DeVries 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 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 1/31/2002?
> 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 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.
>
> Sincerely,
> Stephen L.Tvedten


















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