U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary OfTransportation



### The Honorable Tim Walz · U.S. House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman Walz: 

## JUL 6 

## 2012 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Washington, DC 20590



### Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Rochester International Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTranspe>rtation's Small Community Air Service 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 of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communitiesinthe 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. On May 15, the Department issued an orderrequesting 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 onthe merits ofany particular proposal. I assure you that the Department will give full and fair consideration to air proposals that have been properly 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. Sincerely yours,

Aloha Ley Associate Director Small Community Program

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I CAPITOL OFFICE: 1722 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGmN, DC 20515 (202) 225-2472 MANKATQ OFRCE: 227 EAST MAIN STP.EET SUITE 220. MANKATO, MN 56001 (507) 388-2149 ROCHESTER OFFICE: 11301/z 7TH STREET NW, Sum 208 ROCHESTER, MN 55901 (507) 201Hl643 TOLL FREE#: {8771486-9259 Ms. Aloha Ley 

## .... TIMOTHY

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# WALZ CONGRESS OFTHE UNITED STATES FIRSTDISTRICT, MINNESOTA

. w\VW.WALZ.HOUSE.GOV

June 19, 2012
Associate Director, OfficeofAviationAnalysis 1200 NewJerseyAve SE · Washington, DC 20590 DearMs. Ley, -**~** ·"'" ·,. AGRICULTURE Conservation, Energy, and Forestry

General Farm Commodities and Risk Management TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE'

Rail, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Hig.hways and Transit VETERANS' AFFAIRS Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Economic Opportunity

I am writing to express my support for the Rochester International Airport's application for the Small CommunityAir ServiC?e Development Grant (Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069; GRANT11156129). TheRochester International Airport intends to combine the $500,000 grant award with $200,000 in local non-airport funding from Rochester and $75,000 inmarketing funding to recruit new critical air service to the region. Over.the pastthree years, the airporthas experienced servicereductions ofup to thirtythree percent due to the Delta-Northwest Airlines mergerdespite significantpopulation and economic
. growth duein part tci the Mayo Clinic. It is myhopethat the Rochester International Airport's Small CommunityAir ServiceDevelopment Grant application willreceive properconsideration and approval, so that the airport can expandtheir service a:hd meet the community's needs by further connecting a major international medical destination with therest ofthe world. Thank you for your consideration and for your ongoing commitment

### to serving ourcountry's small community airports. Sincerely,

Tim Walz MEMBER OF CONGRESS
TJW/ms

f'RlNfED ON RECYCLED PAPER