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Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Mr. Alfred LaPaz 

President, Mescalero Apache Tribe 

10 l Central A venue 

P.O. Box 227 

Mescalero> NM 88340 

Dear Mr. LaPaz: 

AUG 212013 

Thank you for your tetter of July 26, addressed to Secretary Foxx, supporting the proposal 

submitted hy the City of Alamogordo for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's 

Small Community Air Service Developmeot Program. The Secretary asked me to respond on his 

behalf. 

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. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than four awards may be to communities in the same State. 

In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types of projects that can be funded. 

On June 24, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by July 26. As these grant requests are pending befol'e the 

Department. I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our standard practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this respm1se in Docket 

DOT ~OST -2013~0 120 a<; a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yoars, 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
July 26, 2013 

P.O. Box.227 

101 Central Avenue 

HonoraBle Anthony Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Mescalero, New Mexico 88340 

Office: (575) 464·4494 

Fax: (575) 464·9191 

Re: City of Alamogordo's Application for Air SerVice Development Grant 

Dear Mr. Foxx, 

On behalf of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, this letter is to express the Tribe's strong support for 

the request recently made by the City of Alamogordo for a Small Community Air Service 

Development grant. The grant would be used to hetp facilitate Regional Jet service to 

Alamogordo, New Mexico. We agree that a wider range of options for transportation to 

Alamogordo and the scenic Tularosa Basin would bring tremendous economic benefits, and 

would be especially helpful to the many small business operators in the area who rely heavily on 

tourism revenue. 

As you may know, the Mescalero Apache Tribe operates the popular Inn of the Mountain Gods 

Resort and Casit1o, a full-service destination resort that attracts guests from throughout the 

Southwest. We believe that the option of arriving by jet at Alamogordo would help to create a 

more level playing field in the increasingly competitive gaming and hospitality industry. The 

availability of Regional Jet service would be attractive to many of our current patrons, and would 

also allow us to market the Inn of the Mountain Gods to new customers who currently opt to 

spend their vacation time and dollars in Arizona and Nevada, due to the relative ease of travel. 

The Regional Jet service would also make it easier for the Tribe to function as a vibrant, relevant 

and involved modern government. Tribal leaders frequently travel to Santa Fe, Washington, D.C. 

and other locations throughout the United States. In many instances, this travel is the best way to 

maintain relationships with the State of New Mexico, with federal agencies, and with other tribal 

governments. 'I'he availability of Regional Jet service in Alamogordo would make it easier and 

more coiwenient for Mescalero Tribal leaders to maintain these important contacts. 

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Finally, the Mescalero Apache Tribe has a long history of unwavering support for the military, 

and includes marty proud and honorable veterans among the Tribe's members. We believe that 

Regional Jet service in Alamogordo would be a welcome benefit to those military families 

currently serving their country at Holloman Air Force Base, and we see that as yet another 

important reason to endorse the plan. 

Thank you for your consideration of this information. If you have any questions, please contact 

me at (575) 464-4494. 

Sincerely, 

~~~0 President 

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