U.S.Departntent of 

Transportation 

Offtee of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Ron Wyden 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Wyden: 

JUL 2 7 2012 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by Eastern Oregon Regional Airport 

for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Servic.e 

Development Program. 

The Small Community Air Service Development 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 of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no 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 service 

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types of projects that can be funded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by June 1 i. As these grant requests are pending before the 

Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in . 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

~Wl:> 

· AlohaLey a 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 
RONWYDEN COMMITTEES: 

OREGON 

223 DIRKSEN SENATE OFACE BUILDING 

WASHINGTON. DC 20510 tinitrd ~tatrs ~rnatr 

COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET 

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

SUBCOMMmEE ON PUBUC LANDS AND FORESTS 

SPECIAL COMMmEE ON AGING 

(202) 224-5244 

(202) 224-1280 (fDD) WASHINGTON, DC 20510-3703 

SELECT COMMITTEE ON lNTEWGENCE 

COMMITTEE ON ANANCE 

July 18, 2012 

Docket DOT -OST -2012-0069 

Ms; Aloha Ley 

Associate Director, Small Community Program 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20303 

Dear Ms. Ley: 

I am writing in support of the grant proposal submitted by Eastern Oregon Regional Airport for 

$50,000 in marketing funds under the Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD). 

As the· only facility in northeast Oregon with scheduled air service, Eastern Oregon Regional 

Airport in Pendleton is a critical component of the overall transportation infrastructure in the 

region. These flights provide access for rural citizens and business travelers to services and 

meetings in the Portland metropolitan area, as well as offering connectivity to the national air 

transportation system. 

Furthermore, connecting flights between Pendleton, Portland and other areas provide a 

significant economic benefit to the region as visitors are drawn to attractions and events such as 

the Pendleton Round-Up and Tamasklit Cultural Institute. Scheduled service at Eastern Oregon 

Regional Airport ensures year-round access to these unique attractions. 

This grant proposal requests marketing funds to increase awareness and ridership on service that 

is subsidized under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. The community's plan is to 

increase airport utilization so these subsidies can be reduced over time. 

I would greatly appreciate your consideration of the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport SCASD 

proposal. Please contact Kathleen Cathey in myLa Grande office at 541-962-7691 if you have 

any questions. 

911 NE 11TH AVENUE 

SUITE 630 

PORTLAND, OR 97232-4169 

(503) 326-'7525 

405 EAST 8TH AVE 

SUITE 2020 

EUGENE. OR 97401 

(541) 431-0229 

Sincerely 

Ron Wyden 

· United States Senator 

SAC ANNEX BUILDING U.S. COURTHOUSE 

105 AR ST 310 WEST 6TH ST 

SUITE 201 ROOM 118 

LA GRANDE, OR 97850 MEDFORD, OR 97501 

(541) 962-7691 (541) 858-5122 

HTIP:/ !WYDEN.SENATE.GOV 

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 

THE Jf\!v<JSON BUILDING 

131 NW HAWTHORNE AVE 

SUITE 107 

,, BEND, OR 97701 

(54,)) 330-9142 

707 13TH Sf, SE 

SUITE285 

SALEM, OR 97301 

(503) 589-4555