•••:' ; -: o > O J r o • -"••,:.-'-" ^ -•'" ; -4n - ;-r,^r n 

# 39 ^ y i . i . - • 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E 1 1 c nan/^rtm^an t Assistan t Secretar y i<:uun e ~ ^ ^/^^^^ ^ U.5 . DeparTmen T ' Washington , D C 2059 0 

### o f Transportatio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

### Augus t 19 , 201 1

Ms . Robin Sullenbefger , CE O Shenandoah Valle y Partnership , Inc . P.O . Bo x 224 1 Harrisonburg , V A 2280 1 Dea r Ms . Sullenberger : Than k yo u for you r lette r t o Secretar

y LaHoo dsupportin g th e proposa l submitte db y th e Shenandoah Valle y Regiona l Airport Commissio n for

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 Secretary ha s askedtha t

I respon do n hi s behal f Th e Smal l Communit y Progra mwa s establishe dt o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dt o hig h airfare s an dinsufficien t service . Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen t ma y us e th e fund s t o mak e amaximu mo f 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , althoug h n o mor e than four ma y b e t o communitie s i n th e sam e State . I n orde r t o provid e communitie s wit h latitud e i n developin g solution s t o thei r ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut e provide s significan t flexibility i n ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen t issue da n orde r requestin g tha t

communitie s intereste di n receivin g agran t

thi s yea r file thei r application s b y Augus t

2 . A s thes e gran t

request s ar e pendin g befor e th e Department , I a msur e yo u understan dtha t I canno t commen t

o n th e merit s o f an y particula r

proposal . I assur e you , however , tha t th e Departmen t

wil l giv e fiill consideratio n t o al l proposal s tha t hav e bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a mplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-0II 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f

thi s matter . I appreciat e you r interes t i n thi s program . If

I ca n provid e further

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel free t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours ,



# j]{^t o Susan L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

# W^mm)2'0m

SI)pn.!ndo.i n V.illc y Partnership , !r'.c . (yiO ) 568.310 0 P.O . So x .??4 i (540 I [,68.117 0 fn x H.iinsonburs , Virgim. T .vSo i svip.'iimu.cd u www.shen3,ido.ih-v.nlli"V.bi z 

# Shenandoa h

PARTNERSHI P Jul y 6 , 201 1

Ra y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n Unite dState s Department

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e SE Washingto n D.C . 2059 0 Dea r Mr . LaHood : 1 a mwritin g to yo

u toda y on behal f

o f th e Shenandoa

h Valley Partnership , aregional economi c developmen t organizatio n tha t represent s all jurisdiction s include di n th e Shenandoa

h Valley Regiona

l Airpor t Commission . W

e strongl y suppor

t th e Grant Applicatio n befor

e th e Department

o f Transportatio n b

y th e Shenandoa

h Valley Regional Airpor t Commissio n unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Development

Program . W e valu e th e man

y benefit s o f

our regiona l airpor t andhav e investe dsignificantl y i n it s developmen t

ove r th e years . SV P ha s partnere dwit

h th e Airpor

t i n pas t endeavor s o f

thi s typ e an dconsider s i

t bot h a n hono r an dresponsibility to suppor t initiative s tha

t hel p ensure stabl e commercial ai r servic e i n th e region . Th e Airpor

t i s critica l t

o th e economi c vitalit

y o f ou r regio n andit s future . Our communit

y wa s dramaticall y impacte di n th e month s an dyear s followin g Septembe r 11 , 2001 . Prio r

t o 2001 , our

communit

y ha dprove n tha

t given th e viabl e an deconomical access , i t can sustai n unsubsidize d ai r service . Unite dExpres s servic e t o Washingto n Dulle s Internationa l Airpor t ha s brought

greatl y improve dfare s alon g wit h improve dconnectivit

y fo r our passengers . Colga

n als o upgrade dth e aircraf t use di n th e market . Thi s represent s th e first substantiv e improvement

i n our servic e i n man y years . Initia l respons e t

o thi s chang e ha s bee

n ver y favorable ; however , our

challeng e a s acommunit

y i s to communicate thi s improvement

i n ai r service , fare s andequipment . T o continu e overcomin g pas t year s o f les s tha n desirabl e service , a

n aggressive , sustaine dmarketin g campaig n i s neededt o adequatel y communicate thi s positiv e change . Th e cos t o f implementin g suc h aprogra mexceed s availabl e loca

l resources . Shoul dth e Department

of Transportatio n awar

dagrant t o th e Shenandoa

h Valley Regiona

l Airport Commission , we fee

l strongl y tha

t i t woul dresult

i n improve dpassenger

traffic , increase drevenu e fo r th e carrie r

an dlesse n o r

possibl y eliminate our

community' s relianc e fo

r subsid y unde r th e Essentia

l Ai r Servic e Program . Than k yo u i n advanc e fo

r your consideratio n o f

thi s application . Sincerely , 

# '^S^SiLL ^ Robin Sullenberger , CE O Shenandoa

h Valle y Partnership Cities : Stit'n a Vist a Harrisonbur g Lexingto n Staunto n Wnynesbor o Counties : Auqust a Bot h Hiijhlanr i Rnrktiriiq e !-''jikinrjhat i