# I W 'MTES C • TH E SECRETAR Y O F TRANSPORTATIO N WASHINGTO N D C 2059 0
Septembe r

09 , 201 1 

### /^-'RTMENTO F



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Th e Honorabl e Kirste n E
. Gillibran d Unite dState s Senate Washington , D C 2051 0 Dea r Senator Gillibrand : Than k yo u fo r your letter supportin g th e proposa

l submitte db

y th e Niagar aCount

y Departmen

t o f Economi c Development

fo r agrant unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Ser\'ic e Developmen

t Program
. Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dt

o hel p smaller communitie s addres s air

servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate d t o hig h airfare s an d insufficien

t service
. Unde

r th e statute , th e U.S
. Department o f Transportatio n ma

y mak e ama.ximu

mo f 4 0 grant award s each year , although n o more tha n 4 ma y b e to communitie s i

n th e same State
. I

n order to provide communitie s wit

h latitud e i n developin g solution s t o thei r air servic e deficiencies , th e statute allow s significan

t flexibilit y i n ho w th e financia

l assistanc e ma

y b e used
. O n Jul y 1 , the Department

issue da n order requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste d i

n receivin g a gran t thi s yea r file thei r application s b

y Augus t 2
. A s thes e gran

t request s are pendin g befor e the Department , I a

msure yo u understan dtha t 1 canno t commen t on th e merit s o f

an y particula

r proposal
. I ca

n assure you . however , tha t the Departmen

t will giv e ful

l consideratio n to all 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 v o f

your lette r andtlii s respons e in Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outsid<^<|f

c recor d o f thi s matter . JLappreciate you r interes t in thi s program . I

f 1 ca n provid e fu/fiie

r inpw/iatio n or

assistance , pjjra * fee

l fre e t o cal l me .

### SlO-110829-01 0

KIRSTE N E

. GILLIBRAN D COMMITTEES :

NEWVOR KARME D SERVICE S NE W Yun n ENVIRONMEN T AN D PUBLI C WORK S SENATO R ASRICUITUR E SPECIA L COMMITTE E O N AGIN O RgSSEL L SENAT E OFFIC E BUILDIN G /^l. * - - < /- ^ / ^ 

# --sii f - "Enitei

l 3mte 5 Senate WASHINGTON , D C 20510-320 6 

### Augus t 16 , 201 1 The Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S
. Department

o f Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Dea r Secretar y LaHood , I writ e i n suppor t

o f th e applicatio n submitte db y th e Niagar aCount y Cente r for Economi c Developmen t

(NCEED ) fo r

fijndin g fro mth e Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Progra mthroug h th e U.S
. Departmen t o f Transportation
. Thi s fundin g wil l provid e financial assistanc e t o hel p enhanc e th e ai r servic e operation s an dmarketin g o f th e Niagar aFall s Internationa l Airpor t (NFIA)
. Th e Niagar aCount y Departmen t o f Economi c Developmen t provide s plannin g service s t o municipahties , citizen s an dorganization s i n Niagar aCounty , particularl y promoting , growt h an ddevelopmen t throughou t

th e region
. Th e NFI A ha s worke d diligendy wit h astron g coaUtio n o f loca l electe dofficials , economi c developers , an d acadeim c an dbusines s leader s wh o ar e workin g acros s community , count y an dnationa l boundarie s t o improv e ai r servic e i n th e region
. Th e airpor t no t onl y provide s acces s t o area s aroun dth e cotmtry , bu t als o i s an essentia l connectio n t o Canada , bringin g with i t increase dopportunit y fo r commerce . Th e requeste dfundin g wil l ensur e tha t th e significan t

development s an dinvestmen t tha t hav e bee n mad e at

th e airpor t

ar e markete dt o fiirther

increas e traffi c throug h th e area . Thi s projec t

wil l als o suppor t

ongoin g economi c developmen t effort s t o attrac t

ne w outsid e investmen t

fro mnearb y regions
. Thi s fundin g i s critical t o allowin g th e local communit y t o fun dthei r marketin g airpor t

initiative s an dprovid e incentive s t o entic e additiona l airlin e carrier s t o operat e a t

th e airport
. I n thi s economi c climate , i t i s importan t

tha t w e provid e ou r conununitie s with th e necessary resource s t o expan deconomi c opportunities , a s thi s projec t i s sur e t o do
. I as k tha t yo u pleas e giv e thi s applicatio n you r ful l consideration
. I f

yo u hav e an

y questions , o r

desir e furthe r

information , pleas e d o no t hesitat e t o contac t

m y staf f membe r Andre w Usyk

a t (202 ) 224-4451
. 

### Sincerely ,

Kirste n E
. Gillibran d Unite dState s Senator

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