To: Administrator of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Habitat Protection

Force
From: Alexis Smoak
Subject: Enforcing Habitat Protection from Invasive Species

Hello Mr. Lawrence Starfield,

I appreciate the work your agency has done to enforce the protection of the environment and
local habitats. Conservation efforts have greatly increased after years of enforcement on your
part. An example I have observed is that there have been less concerns over people intentionally
dumping waste and destroying ecosystems, resulting in a safer area for wildlife. I am an
employee of the Office of Water in the EPA. I have been observing the coastal zones of
dangerous amounts of invasive species. Now is the time we need to focus on containing the
number of these intruders to the land to conserve both the wetland regions and the water.

Enforcement and Inspection Concerns

The enforcements are steadily relieving the habitats of harmful human interaction; however, I
believe more enforcement over invasive species would also be beneficial. Humans are not the
only culprits to a habitat’s demise. Invasive species can be foreign plants or animals that do not
belong to the area. The plants suffocate the roots of the origin plants of the area, while the
wildlife affect the food chain for predators and prey.

Enforcement of species accountability in each preserved area along with import inspections will
greatly increase the preservation efforts. Imports of planes and boats can accidently or
intentionally ship foreign species to the country. The effort required for full preservation will be
high when combatting both humans and essential shipping across countries.

Action Required

I would like to request for your agency to meet with the Office of Water on November 20th.
Within the meeting we will discuss the need for fines and inspections. We will also discuss what
is needed to enact this enforcement along with budgeting. enforce strict laws on the releasement
of invasive species. Higher fines in place for someone caught releasing an invasive species into a
local habitat would increase chances of it no longer happening in the future. Enforcement of
shipping inspections will also be requested. Your team would inspect incoming planes and boats
of invasive plants or wildlife that may have boarded at the time of loading and departure.
Monthly habitat inspections where new species will be recorded to account for any change of
invasive introductions. I believe these efforts would further the preservation of local habitats and
overall, better the health of the ecosystems in the country. Thank you for your time. I hope to
meet with your team soon on November 20th at the Office of Water meeting room. Please email
me by November 15th to confirm your meeting with us. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,

Alexis Smoak
amsmoak@clemson.edu
(843) 123-4569
Alexis Smoak
Habitat Protection Force