U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Mr. Pat Sollars 

General Manager 

Assistant Secretary 

AUG 25 2D14 

Peabody Energy: Twentymile Coal, LLC 

29515 Routt County Road 27 

Oak Creek, CO 80467 

Dear Mr. Sollars: 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, b.C 20590 

Thank you for your letter, addressed to Secretary Foxx, supporting the proposal submitted by 

Yampa Valley Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's. Small 

Community Air Service Development Program. Secretary Foxxasked that I respond to you 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 and 

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

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

provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the 

statute provides flexibility in the types of air service development projects that can be funded. 

On June 30, the Dt~partment issued an order setting a deadline of July 31 for applications. As 

these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any 

particular proposal. I assure you, however, 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 response in Docket 

DOT -OST -2014-0113 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this progra.!Il. 

Sincerely yours, 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
Pea.I!I!IJI 

Twentymlle Coal, LLC 

Mr. Anthony Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

United States Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, Southeast 

Washington D.C. 20590 

29515 Routt County Road 27 

Oak Creek, CO 80467 

970.879.3800 

August 5, 2014 

Re: DOT-OST-2014-01.13 Small Community Air Service Development Program 2014 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

As one of the largest employers in Northwest Colorado, and a major business enterprise, we strongly support the 

the Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) Grant application of the Yampa Valley Regional 

Airport, which serves the towns of Steamboat Springs, Hayden, Craig, and much of Northwest Colorado. 

With the exception of the winter ski season, our regional airport and our towns and local area have very limited, 

expensive, and unreliable air service. With the closest major airport (Denver International) being more than 

three hours away, the limited air service is both a practical and a financial burden, limiting local businesses and 

residents. As the Grant application notes, only one airline offers air service from April to December, flight 

frequencies are limited, and airfares are extremely high, well above typical fares at other Colorado mountain 

airports, fares from Denver, and national averages. 

The Airport's Grant application is for a modest $400,000, matched by $300,000 in local funding. The purpose 

of the Grant is to recruit a second airline to provide service outside of winter, and thus provide some schedule 

options and airfare competition in Northwest Colorado outside of the peak winter season. 

The Airport, and Routt County and their community partners, including the City of Steamboat Springs, 

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, and the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, have a well 

thought-out plan for recruiting a second carrier, but some community financial support of that carrier will be 

needed to bring in _new competition, and these local entities are fully engaged to secure that support. · 

The requested grant and its stated purpose are fully consistent with the purpose and intent of the SCASD Grant 

program, which is intended to aid smaller cities with higher fares and limited competition. 

We urge you to give this Grant application your fuil and careful consideration. 

Sincerely,IA-

@IJJ . Pat Sollars 

General Manager 

....