Business letter

During the past few weeks in English class, Robby has been learning about the nuances of writing various types of letters. So far he has written a friendly letter, a get well letter, a letter of complaint and a cover letter. Yesterday he (finally) completed the unit by writing a formal business letter.

With all assignments, he has been given the option of writing the letter to a real or to a fictional person or company. Because my little Koopa does not like dealing in abstracts, every time he has chosen to write to a real person. He has been disappointed that his outreach has fallen on deaf ears because none of the recipients have responded. (Perhaps he is learning more than just how to construct a letter in this unit.)

Undeterred, yesterday he poured his heart into writing a letter to our Senators. After introducing himself he eloquently made the case for keeping the Endangered Species Act strong. I was so proud of his final product and wanted to share it.

To the delight of my little Koopa, his no-response streak was broken by Senator Tim Kaine. Robby was ecstatic when he checked his email last night and found a response. Now he is creating a list of more letters to write; it seems that I might have a little activist on my hands!

Robby's Letter:

(address omitted)

January 22, 2019

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

231 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Kaine:

My name is Robert Chenoweth and I am in seventh grade. This past summer I volunteered at the Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (S.T.O.P.) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Every night we went out onto the beach from 8 pm to 4 am to monitor the sea turtle nests. When the hatchlings became disoriented because of the light pollution. I was trained to redirect them to the ocean. Sea turtles are special creatures that need to be protected.

While I was volunteering, I witnessed two sea turtle mother’s crawling up the beach to lay their eggs. One of the turtles was missing part of her flipper but still managed to crawl. The eggs were protected because of the Endangered Species Act.

Since they were placed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, the population of sea turtles has grown.  According to the Center for Biological Diversity, “North Atlantic green sea turtles increased from 464 nests on scientifically standardized Florida beaches in 1989 to 39,000 in 2017 after being protected in 1978.” In other words, the Endangered Species Act is truly protecting the sea turtles.

I am concerned that the Endangered Species Act may be weakened. This would be catastrophic for all animals, especially those that are protected. I hope you keep fighting to keep the Endangered Species Act strong. The sea turtles are counting on you, and so am I.

Sincerely,

Robert (Robby) Chenoweth

His response:

January 22, 2019

Mr. Robert Chenoweth
(omitted our address)

Dear Mr. Chenoweth:

Thank you for contacting me about protecting endangered species.  I appreciate hearing from you. 

As an avid outdoorsman, I support policies that will help endangered fish and wildlife species thrive. The Endangered Species Act has worked to save some of our most cherished wildlife. The bald eagle, our national symbol, was once critically endangered but has made a triumphant comeback across the country and can be seen in many parts of Virginia today where it would not have been seen before.

I would have significant concerns with legislative proposals to water down the Endangered Species Act. I believe decisions about the Endangered Species List are best made through scientific analysis by wildlife professionals, not by politicians. I appreciate that Endangered Species listings can on occasion be a complicating factor in land-use decisions, and I believe conflicts like this can be minimized by investing more in upfront prevention initiatives, such as the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program. This initiative supports state wildlife agencies, such as the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, in taking steps to sustainably manage threatened wildlife before species fall to the critically low levels that necessitate Endangered Species Act protection.

As Governor of Virginia, I worked with Republicans and Democrats in the General Assembly, environmental organizations, and government agencies to preserve more than 400,000 acres of open space in the Commonwealth, which benefited wildlife and people alike. We must be vigilant in protecting these resources for future generations to enjoy.

I will continue working to protect the endangered species of Virginia and the entire nation.  Thank you again for contacting me.

Sincerely,