Evaluate an argument 8

Read the letters.

July 19, 2020

Dear Citizens,

I write this letter with hopes that my message will be heard. I am scared of what will happen if the federal government reduces the size of Solitude Conservation Area. This land needs to be protected, like a mother protects her child. This land, the pinon forests and lofty meadows, the juniper deserts and sandstone canyons, and all the animals that live here need to be left free from human’s destructive ways.

If the current conservation area was reduced in size, the animals would suffer. Hunters would flock to this pristine area and ransack its treasures. Herds of deer would dwindle. The fledgling pack of wolves conservationists introduced here would most likely decline. Birds of all kinds would be disturbed. Campers and hikers would tread on tender grasses, killing them. And what about garbage? No matter how many signs are put up to carry out garbage, some people choose not to abide by this rule. Garbage would harm the plants and animals that call this place home.

Let’s keep Solitude Conservation Area as is. Let’s support the government that wants to preserve the land.

In peace,
Serena Cochiti

Dear Editor,

I’m a hunter and I believe that the federal government is right in giving a majority of the land designated as Solitude Conservation Area back to the people of the state. It might seem like reducing the national land by 85% is outrageous, but the original size of 1.3 million acres was way too big. The reduction will still conserve 50,000 acres. That is still a lot of land for a conservation area. The rest of the land should go back to the people who enjoy it, who use it to hunt and fish and hike.

The land will still be protected and respected. The Bureau of Land Management will continue to monitor and maintain it, following all the required state and federal laws spelled out in the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act, to name a few.

And let’s talk about money. Everyone knows that national conservation areas cost a lot of federal money to maintain. Put park land back in the hands of state officials. Let states reap the monetary benefits of state land. Let people make money off the land—as ranchers, as recreational guides, as outfitters. Opening up energy development can also bring the big bucks in. Everyone wins!

Sincerely,
Martha Winters