### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC 20590

The Honorable Amy Klobuchar United States Senate Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Klobuchar: July 17, 2012

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Rochester International Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small CommunityAir Service Development Program.
The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Underthe statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. In orderto provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to theirair service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded.
On May 15, the Department issued an orderrequesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. ·As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany particularproposal. I assure you that the Department

### will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed.
As is ournormal practice, I run placing a 

### y, f your letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a conta outs' e t record ofthis matter. Iappr ··ate your interest in this program.!-li·;lY \LOGULHJ\F;**··-~:.n1~:·.uL**TI.JGC. !lU fi'-1!TI(;i,l "cJO f(lf-:1:" lFl'r**(( 1-~t.:ERCE**  '3rtEJ.JCE ANO TR.AUSPORT,\TION JOINT ECONQ.',.liC COMMITTEE Jl)DICIMlY

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary 

### ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTransportation 

### 400 

### i 11 Street, S.

### W. Washington D.C. 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood: W.<\SIW·JGTON, DC :0510 June 20,2012

I write to express my supportfor Rochester Intcmational Airport's grant application for a Small CommunityAir Service Development grant in the amount of$500,000 from the U.S. Department ofTransportation under Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069. The funds 

### will be combined with $200,000 oflocal non-airport funding from the city ofRochester and used to recruit new air services that are critically needed in the area. [n the last three years, one third ofthe airline service atthe Rochester International Airport in Rochester, Minnesota has been lost, affecting acritical hub for commerce and healthcare services in the region. Both the headquarters for the Mayo Clinic and a major facility for rBM are located in the Rochester area, alongwith otherdynamic and growingbusinesses. Qualityair service is needed by both these organizations as well as the rest ofRochester's business communityto serve their customers and compete globally.
This grant will help maintain a much needed resource in the Rochester area by attracting additional air services that 

### will serve the needs ofMinnesotans and support a growing regional economy. With the support ofthe Small Community Air Service Development grant the Rochester International 

### Aitpohwill continue to provide critical air services to Rochester and the ·surrounding area.
Forthe reasons above, I encourage your strongest consideration ofRochester International Airport's grant proposal. Ifyou have any questions or need additional infonnation, please contact Greg Bohrer 

### in my Minnesotaoffice 

### at (612)727-5220 orby email at

. Greg_ Bohrer@klobuchar.scnate.gov. Sincerely,

# (\~**\L\~A<Jv\ AmyKl<S~**  United States Senator