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U.S . Departmen t o f Itanspoitotio n Assistan t Secretar y 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , SE

t"-* J CX ) > J D K J J r o • / .•—• . !__ ^ ^ :.':—: ' z.zb* . n ;-^:;r n O^- n C O Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

### SE P 

### 0 9 

### 2Q1 1 Mr . Her b Thomson Director , Burea

u o f Transportatio n System s Planning Main e Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 1 6 Stat e Hous e Statio n Augusta , M

E 04333-001 6 Dea r Mr . Thomson : Than k yo u fo r you r lette r to Secretar

y LaHoo d supportin g th e proposa l submitte d b

y the Aubum-Lewiston Municipa l Airpor t fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Small Communit

y Program) . Th

e Secretar y ha s aske d tha

t I respon d o n hi s behal f

~ Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe d t

o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate d to high airfare s an d insufficien

t service . Unde r the statute , the Departmen

t ma y us e the funds t

o mak e amaximu

mo f 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s in the sam e State . I n orde r to provide communitie s wit h latitude in developing solution s to their 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 d a n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste d i

n receiving agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2 . A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e you understan d tha

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 ful l consideratio n t

o al l proposal s tha

t hav e bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acopy o f

you r lette r an d thi s respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outside th e recor

d o f thi s matter . I appreciat

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

I ca n provide furthe

r information or

assistance , pleas e fee

l fire e to call me . Sincerel y yours .

>usa n L . Kurland Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an

d Internationa

l Affair sSTAT E O F MAIN E DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N 1 6 STAT E HOUS E STATIO N AUGUSTA , MAIN E 04JJ3-0P1 6 Pau l R . LePag e Oavi d Bernhard t GCVERNO P COMMISSIONE R

Jul y 22,201 1 Hon . Raymond L . LaHoo d Secretar y U.S . Department

o f Transportatio n 1200 New Jerse y Ave , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Subject : Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m Dea r Secretar y LaHood : Th e Main e Department

o f Transportatio n support s th e Aubu m- Lewiston' s Small Communit y Ai r Servic e Development

Progra mGrant Application . Give n th e expecte d growt h a t thi s airpor

t an d th e task s tha

t hav e bee n undertake n t o pursu e Commercia l Service , I believ e tha

t fundin g fromthi s gran

t woul d clearl y benefi t

th e region . Th e Departmen

t recognize s th e stron g communit y suppor t fo r thi s airpor

t an d ove r $ 1 millio n i n loca l mone y ha s bee n spent

t o date t o prepar

e fo r certification . We wis h th e Aubur

n - Lewisto n Municipa

l Airpor t th e bes t o f luc k i n their efforts t o compet e fo r th e grant . Pleas e fee

l free to contac t

Pegg y Duval wit

h an y question s o r comment s b y phon e a

t (207 ) 624-330 0 o r

b y emai l a

t margaret.duval@jnaine.gov . Sincerely , 

# ^ ^ /K^ P Her b Thomso n Directo r Burea u o f Transportatio n System s Plannin g Main e Department

o f Transportatio n cc : Richard Cloutier , Airpor t Manager

V TH E MAIN E DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N I S A N AFFIRMATIV E ACTIO N - EQUA L OPPORTUNIT Y EMPLOYE R PHONE i <2O7)(S24-3O0 O TT Y 888- 3 I6.9J6 4 FAX i (207 ) 624-300 1