Editor's Note: We received the following correspondence from one of our Axis of Logic readers and we publish it here because it says oh so very much. It reminds me of an ancient message from "the east" - the I Ching - and one that has served me well over the years ...  "Hold fast to the lessons learned from nature". Our Axis reader sent this letter and reply to us. adding only a prescient comment ...  "and the beat goes on" ... Les Blough, Editor.

The Dam

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries by the    Pennsylvania Department 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.

SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County

Dear Mr. DeV ries:

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 m ust 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, 2006.

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 12/17/02 has 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   < B> 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 proje ct any time and/or any place you choose.    I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam  &nbs p; 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 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 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 t (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 1/31/2006? 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! &n bsp;   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.

YAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS