Snowy Mountain Development Corporation 

April10, 2013 

Montana Department of Transportation 

2701 Prospect Avenue 

PO Box 201001 

Helena, MT 59620-1001 

Dear Sir; (ll 

This letter is written in support of maintaining air service to the Lewistown/central 

Montana community. SMDC is a regional economic development organization serving the 

six counties in central Montana including Judith Basin, Fergus, Petroleum, Musselshell, 

Wheatland and Golden Valley; covering 12,328 square miles roughly the size of Vermont, 

Delaware and Rhode Island combined with 14 incorporated and 25 unincorporated 

municipalities and a population of 21,742 (U.S. Census Bureau 20120). 

lewistown is currently the only community in that region that has regular service to a 

larger destination and is only served by one airline. The airline is dependent upon funding 

from Essential Air Services, the federal government program enacted to guarantee that 

small communities in the U.S. that were served by certified airli.nes prior to deregulation 

were able to maintain commercial service. 

This is a vast rural, often called "frontier" region that needs these airline services to 

sustain, and continue providing resources for the nation and the world including 

agriculture, manufacturing and natural resources. Air transportation infrastructure is the 

key to manufacturers serving the world through access to travel to those markets, 

transporting goods, and allowing access to and from this region. Air transportation 

infrastructure is necessary to ensure the ongoing development of natural resources and 

energy sources. Air transportation is necessary to ensure the ongoing agricultural industry 

has ability to travel to product markets across the nation and world. 

Central Montana lacks access to railroad and interstate transportation infrastructure, also. 

Air transportation infrastructure provides emergency supplies to the community and was 

extremely important in 2011 when the community was isolated due to the highway 

infrastructure failing in the disastrous flooding that occurred that spring. The only way to 

get supplies to the hospital, leave or come into the community during that disaster was by 

air transportation. 

In recent years, the community has demonstrated the need for the service to a connecting 

air transportation hub- such as Denver. The need exists within the community; however 
the current service does not adequately address that need and therefore ridership has 

decreased. The central Montana region definitely needs an air transportation system with 

connections to a hub to ensure that our businesses are able to continue providing 

products to the U.S. and the world. 

We hope that you will understand that need for transportation infrastructure especially in 

the isolated area of central Montana and find a way to address that desperate need. Your 

thoughtful consideration of maintaining this important infrastructure is greatly 

appreciated. 

Sincerely, 

Kathie A. Bailey, 

Executive Director 

613 N.E. Main Street • Lewistown, MT 59457 • (406) 535-2591 • smdcexecd@midrivers.com 

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