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CORRECTIONS
First, in our
political feature on alternatives open to the City of Saginaw in the wake
of defeat of the Public Safety millage, it is Public Act #78 and
not #378 that would allow the city to contract services with the
Sheriff Department in order to save a couple million dollars.
Secondly, the
Best DJ award in this year's Music Award Ceremony went to Lionel
Braddock, and was not a tie with D.J. Fade as was indicated. After graduation, I secured a good job as a designer with General Motors. Just recently, however, I have taken a new job that was a choice based on the fact that I saw no future with GM, not only because of layoffs, but more so because of the layers of bureaucracy built into the corporation. I hate to say it, but I doubt GM will survive another 20 years. The legacy costs are too substantial. Toyota made more money last year than GM, Ford and Chrysler put together in 10 years. Toyota's net capitalization is over $125 billion; GM's is like $20 billion.
And as with city
government, health care costs are also a major problem. GM is the
largest buyer of healthcare at $5.9 billion a year. That's an
enormous figure to cover as medical bills go up!
* 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 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 our staff may schedule a follow-up site inspection. 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.
A couple of beavers are in the 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 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 324.30101to 324.30113 of the 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. 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 until1/31/2003? 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 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!)
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