U.S. Department of Transportation Office ofthe Secretary ofTransportation

, The Honorable Terry Nealey Washington State Legislature Olympia, WA 98504-0600 Dear Mr. Nealey: 

### JUL 

## 5 1n12

\·· 1200 New JerseyAve., S.E. Washington, DC 20590

Thank you for yourletter, cosigned by your colleagues, supporting the proposal submitted by the Walla Walla RegionalAirport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTrao.sportation's Small
·. Community Air Service Development Program. ·The Small Community 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 of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the sameState. In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types 9fprojects that can be funded. On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a grantthis year file their applications hy June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany patiicularproposal. I assure you that the Department will giyc full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been propetly filed. As is our normal

### practice. I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. An identical letter has been sent to each cosigner ofyour letter. Sincerely yours, 

# Myf)v%
Aloha Ley Associate Director, Small Community Air Service Development ProgramU.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary OfTransportation

The Honorable Maureen Walsh Washington State Legislature Olympia, WA 98504-0600 DearMs. Walsh: 

## JUL 52012 ,i. •• < 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Washington, DC 20590

Thank you for your letter, cosigned by your colleagues. supporting the proposal submitted by the Walla Walla Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small CommunityAir Service Development Program. The Small Community 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 avvards each year, although no more than 4 awards may beto 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 ofprojects that can be.funded. OnMay 15, the Department issued an order requesting 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 particular proposal. 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 am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. An identical letter has been sent to each cosigner ofyour letter. Sincerely yours, 

# ·AIJ,
..J; 01 .- i))t!Vu 1\loha Ley Associate Director, Small Community

Air Service Development ProgramU.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary OfTransportation The Honorable Mike Hewitt Washington State Legislature ·Olympia, WA 98504-0600 Dear Mr. Hewitt: "'"·":.·-:


## JUL 

# a 2DI2 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Washington, DC 20590

Thank you for your letter, cosigned by your colleagues, supporting the proposal submitted by the Walla Walla Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program.

.. . "". The Small Community Program "Yas established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, the Departmentmaymake a maximum of40 grant awards each year, althoughno more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air scrvice.defi'cicncies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded. On May 15, the

### .D~partmerit. issued ari

### ord~r-requesting that communities interested in·receiving a grant this year file their applications by June II. 1\s these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany particular proposal. I assure you that the Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have beenproperly filed. As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. An identical letter has been sent to each cosigner ofyour letter. Sineerely yours.

# 1\£~~02_;( Aloha Ley 

# U Associate Director. Small Community

Air Service Development ProgramMay 30,2012 Ms. Aloha Ley Associate Director, Small Community Program Office ofAviation Analysis US Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE W86-310 Washington, DC 20590 RE: Order 2012-05-08; Docket DOT- OST-2012-0069 Dear

### Ms. Ley, ·- . Preserving commercial air service in the greaterWallaWalla valley is critical to oureconomic vitality. For some 27 years
· Hol'i-zon/Ataska Airlines has been providing commerci<d air servicetoWallaWalla;

- ·. ··· · · ·.·· .. ,·In 2Q09.Alaska Airlines changed its airplane fleet from a 37 passenger aircraft to a 76 passenger**~ircraft. ~ince**  this change, .Walla Walla has struggled to meet Alaska Airlinespassenger enplanement.goals. 

### In. Aprilthe airline informed a group 9f

### -commo~fty leapers that tney are losing'

### mo~ey**i~** th;Waila Walla market. It ii.

### critic~!**to·t~~rease** passen.ger

### enplanem~nts. With this background, we enthusiastically endorse the Small Community Air Service Development Grant application being submitted by the Walla Walla Regional Airport. Development ofthe comprehensive marketing plan to encourage additional passengerenplanements is exactly the approach we need totake to preserve air service. We_ are.r.Ieased with the community partnerships bei.ng aligned for this project. Thi-s i!lcluqes the Port ofWallaWalla,
·**tauri~J?** Walla Walla, Walla Walla Valley Chamber ofCommerce, the Walla**W~ll~ ~u:i~**  Alliance, and the local AirTravel Coalition.

## -· 1 •.

. 

## - . P_lease give ·this application careful consideration as ourcommunity works together to**pre~erve** air service in the Walla Walla valley; Respectfully,

Sen. Mike Hewitt l6 1h Legislative District Rep. Maureen Walsh l6 1h Legislative District Rep. Terry Nealey I61h Legislative District