Imagine you are policy analyst in the Massachusetts coastal zone management program.  Your boss has been asked you to prepare a short memo analyzing the controversy.  Be sure to summarize the situation, describe the merits of wind power, identify the sources of the conflict, and the problems associated with the specific proposal.  In general terms, what are going to be the sources of conflict in all such similar proposals for offshore wind farms. Given the growing number of proposals on the eastern seaboard for offshore wind farms, your boss thinks that the agency should have a policy to evaluate future proposals for offshore wind farms and decide how to balance environmental protection with the development of this offshore resource.  Be sure to include some recommendations in your memo. 

This assignment should take the form of memo.  It is limited to 3 single-spaced, 12 point font pages, with 1 inch margins and must be in a standard memo format (most word processing software has templates).  The reason that a memo format is required is that it is the standard means of communication in the world of business and government.  Thus, this assignment will help develop your ability to analyze policy questions and to think, act, and communicate more effectively about environmental issues and problems.

Your memos will be evaluated based on your analysis of the problem, the organization of your ideas, your ability to properly apply the theories, concepts, and legal precedents discussed in class and the quality of your writing (e.g., spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.).  Your goal is to write as clearly, concisely, and directly as possible.  Elegance of style, while desirable, is a secondary consideration.  Short declarative sentences often convey ideas equally well; convoluted grammar confuses things and often leads to misunderstandings.  Remember that you are trying to convey your ideas to people who have infinite demands on their time.  A simple, direct style economizes on time.