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U.S . Departmen t o f lonn M i TtanSDOrtatio n ^ , ^^" ^ •'®"* y Avenue , S

E iramponono n Woshington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secrefar

y " o f Transportatio n 

## SE P 

## 2 0 201 1 Th e Honorabl e Michael F . Benne t United State s Senat

e d Washington , D

C 2051 0 ^ ^ Dea r Senato r Bennet : i ^ Than k yo u fo r you r lette r supportin g th e proposa

l submitte d b

y th e Telluride Regiona

l L U Airpor t fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m (Smal l Communit

y Program) . Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe d to hel

p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relate d to high airfare s and insufficien t service . Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e th e fund s to mak

e amaximu

mo f 4 0 gran t award s each year , although n o mor e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s in the sam e State . I n orde r to provide communitie s wit h latitude in developin g solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut

e provide s significan

t flexibilit y i n ho w th e financia

l assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 1 , the Departmen

t issue d a n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste d in receivin g agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2 . A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understand tha

t I canno t commen t on th e merit s o f an y particula r proposal . I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will give ful l consideratio n t

o al l proposal s tha

t hav e been properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acopy of

you r lette r and thi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outside th e recor

d o f thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t in thi s program . I

f I ca n provid e furthe r information o

r assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e to call me . Sincerel y yours .

Aloh aLe y Associat e Directo r Smal l Communit

y Progra m

# T !>. „



# Hinte dSorr s Btiu U

= ^;:,1UM ' Augus t 9 , 20 1 i Aloh a Le y Associat e Directo r U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Smai l Communit

y Progra m 1200 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e S

£ Washtf^on , D.C . 205« ) 1^ : Th e TMurkt o l^^na T Mrpor f s Appiieatio n (DUN S »180571739 ) fo ra Snud t Cmmnunit

y Ai rServic e I^mlqpnMn t Pilo t Pr^ra m Gran t Dea rIWs . Ley : I a m pleased t o suppor

t a n applicatio n recentl y sutunitte d tt y th e Tellurid e Regiona l Airpor t for th e Smal l Communit

y Ai rServic

e Developmen t Pilot Prc^ra m Grant . I f approved , thi s gran t wil l g o toward s gainin g a secon d summe rai rservic e carrie ran d expandin g sea t capacit y t o hel p sustai n ove r10,00 0 enpianements . Obtainin g th e gran t wil l hel p Tellurid e bette rmeet passenge rai rtravele rdeman d an d hel p pressur e a reductio n o f airfare s fro m on e o f th e highes t costin g airport s i n th e country . Th e Tellurid e Airpor

t help s facilitat e ove r$14 0 Millio n Dollar s i n economi c activity fo rth e Tellurid e region , an d fo ra highl y touris m base d economy improvin g ai rservic e i s critica l t o economi c growt h an d success . I n additio n t o aidin g tourism , increase d ai rservic e coul d also hel p t o diversif y th e econom y i n Tellurid e b y providin g neede d ai racces s t o otiie rbusines

s industries . Tellurid e wil l b e providin g matchin g fund s fo rthi s grant . Most importantly , Tellurid e ha s vw m a previou s gran t almost 1 0 year s ag o bac k i n 200 2 tha t successfull y starte d winte rai rservi< ^ o n USAirway s fro m Phoenix t o Tellurid e tha t continue s today . Thi s gran t i s supporte d b

y th e Tellurid e Montros e Regiona l Ai rOrganization , th e town s o f Telluride , Mountai n Villa s an d th e Cit y o f Montrose , a

s wel l a s th e Tellurid e Sk

i Resort , amon g ove r75 othe rcommunit

y organizations . Th e Tellurid e Communit y ha s a prove n trac k

recor d o f succes s an d need s som e start-u p assistanc e t o continu e thei rai rservic e developmen t efforts .1 A 

### ^k m

I encourag e yo u to giv

e th e gra m applicatio n submitte d b y th e TeHurid e Regiona l Wrpor t ever y appropriat e consideratio n consisten t wit h aJ i appHcaW e law s an d regulations . Than k

yo u fo r you rattention , an d please notif y m y offic e o f fund s awarded . Sincerely ,

Michae l F. Benne

t Unite d State s Senato r