This lovely article from the Sacramento Bee highlights the good work that citizen-watchdog groups do in government, education, and environmental awareness. Listen to how it starts, and then go read the whole thing. Just looking at it again now I get goosebumps.

They have been called gadflies and kooks and names not suitable for publication. They have also been called heroes.  Say what you will about these plucky citizens who champion open government, but you’ll have to agree: They are persistent. And how.

As California and other states observe Sunshine Week – a national initiative to promote government transparency – we offer a closer look at citizen-watchdogs who have blazed the way

It made me think of course of beavers and of this article posted two years ago after Superior court ruled that the city of  Martinez could install some sheetpile through a beaver lodge. Let’s enjoy a walk thru memory lane.

Let Slip the Watchdogs of War

So there were some sad and worried faces at the dam tonight, a few smug ones at the city council meeting, and one irrationally cheerful one on the bridge. Beaver supporters should know that Worth A Dam will continue to represent the best interest of the beavers, and to keep you informed about how the work is affecting them. Even though we were disheartened by the ruling, it would be a mistake not to notice the few shreds of good news that trickled through today.

• Heard from Skip tonight. He is returning home tomorrow morning, staying in Vermont for a few days and then coming back next week to keep an eye on the work.
• The sheet metal installer agreed to “vibrate” each piece at the top of the lodge before installation to give the beavers warning.
• There will be a vibration sensor installed in the creek to measure impact.
• The marked height of the topped trees is very encouraging, and shade will be left for the beavers lodge.

At tonights pre-secret meeting meeting, Worth A Dam spoke up about the need for public participation and oversight. I pointed out how, as unpopular as we were at the moment, we had actually served a very useful role for the city in getting them to think more protectively about the beavers. I also pointed out that the report from our Fluvial Geomorphologist had identified a serious risk area in the creek that the city had ignored. Yesterday Jon showed it to Igor Skaredoff and today the city assigned staff to take care of it. Our expert, whose report they didn’t want to admit into evidence, actually saved the city time and money.

I emphasized that this useful role of a watchdog agency would continue as the work was done. They were chatting on the bridge today about how to keep the crazy beaver people out of the way during the work. In the long run they will be much safer and more successful if they make space for us and tolerate our looking over their shoulders. Laying aside any delusions of compassion or civic responsibility, the media attention on this issue has proven that it would be hugely damaging for the city to let anything happen to our beavers. They need all the help they can get.

Who let the watchdogs out?

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=y7PtSsbkGdM]

In the meantime, this particular watchdog is off to the airport to pick up NOAA fisheries biologist and researcher Michael Pollock and show him around the dam-aged dams before driving with he, wikipedia Rick and Cheryl to Yosemite to talk to State Park Rangers about the benefits of beavers. Hopefully we’ll convince a few rangers to try using tools that let beavers stick around in State Park Lands. At the very least I’m expecting hours of beaverish conversation on the way up and back. Wish us luck!