Sample Essay

US Forest Service Representative Roe:

Introductory Paragraph – this paragraph has background information for your argument.  Key facts including numbers and statistics should be taken from the readings and placed in the introduction:

Recently there has been a great controversy surrounding the use of off-road vehicles on public lands. In fact off-road vehicle use has been increasing since the 1980’s. There has even been a 44 percent increase in their use (1). This is a dangerous increase that will seriously impact Connecticut’s environment. Representative Roe, please help Connecticut limit the use of ORV’s on public lands because they damage the land and cause air pollution.

Paragraph Break-down:

First Body Paragraph – Be sure to speak to your letter’s audience; as always, start with a strong topic sentence. In the body paragraphs support your thesis with evidence from the readings.  Be sure to properly set-up your quotes:

Representative Roe, one of the main reasons that we need your help is that these ORV’s are hurting the state’s public lands. This is a beautiful state and we need to keep the land as clean as possible. The White House Council on Environmental Quality reported that, “ORV’s have damaged every kind of ecosystem found in the United States” (1). Clearly the rest of the country is concerned about this issue and it is time for Connecticut to get to work on this problem. Gayle  Joplin, biologist with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks says that ATV’s hurt areas where animals need to feed and rest. She also says that they “kill vegetation and cause soil erosion” (1). Mr. Roe, we obviously can not have this happening in our great state of Connecticut.

Paragraph 1 Break-Down:

Paragraph II:

Representative Roe, along with hurting our lands, these ORV’s also cause toxic air pollution. This is bad for everyone and we must act now. Russell Long, Executive Director of Blue Water Network, a conservation group, says that snowmobiles are worst than cars from the 1950’s for emissions. He says, “a modern snow mobile emits roughly 225 times the carbon monoxide and 1000 times the hydrocarbons and nitrous oxides of a modern car”(2). These poisons do not belong in Connecticut’s air. People in Montana are really concerned about their air as well. Forest officials there talk about how the air in yellow stone national park has violated federal air quality standards (2).  I am in disbelief that this is happening in a national park.

Paragraph II Break-down:

Conclusion – this is your time to be sure your argument is clear.  Be sure to reinforce your thesis. And remember to address your audience in this paragraph too:

Representative Roe, now is the time to act to limit the use of the ORVs on public lands.  They are hurting the land and our air.  Mark Williams, the Water Quality Coordinator for Boulder, CT, says that ORVs are noisy, smelly, and hurting the water supply out West (3).  Well, I’m afraid of the same thing happening here.  ORV use is estimated to get towards 118 million visits in 2020 from only 5.3 million in 1979 (3).  We have to stop this increase now by limiting those machines in our beautiful state.  It is not too late to get this done.  Please get the state legislature involved in helping us limit their use.

Conclusion Break-Down:

Salutations: