U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

Of Transportation 

The Honorable Michael F. Bennet 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Bennet: 

. . . i ~ :" ' . 

1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the application submitted by the City and County of 

Gunnison in Colorado for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation'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 of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than four 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 June 24, the Department issued an order setting a deadline of July 26 for applications. 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 standard practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2013-0120 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 
MICHAEL F. BENNET 

COLORADO 

COMMIITEES: 

AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY 

FINANCE 

HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, 

AND PENSIONS 

Ms. Brooke Chapman 

Associate Director 

<llnitrd ~tatrs ~rnatr WASHINGTON, DC 20510-0609 

July 18, 2013 

Small Community Air Service Development Program 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

gth Floor, Room W86-307 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

RE: City and County of Gunnison Grant Application, DOT -OST -2013-0120 

Dear Ms. Chapman: 

WASHINGTON, DC: 

458 RuSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING 

WASHINGTON, DC 20510 

(2021 224-5852 

COLORADO: 

1127 SHERMAN STREET 

SUITE 150 

DENVER, CO 80203-2398 

(303) 455--7600 

http://www.bennet.senate.gov 

I am writing to support a recent grant application submitted by the City and County of Gunnison 

in Colorado for a 2013 Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) Grant with the 

U.S. Department of Transportation. The airport's application proposes funding to support new 

summer season air service from Gunnison to markets in Texas beginning in 2014. 

Air transportation is critical to the economic health and growth of rural Colorado. This is 

particularly true for our mountain resort communities such as the City of Gunnison and Crested 

Butte in Gunnison County. Gunnison has suffered a dramatic loss of over one third of its airline 

service in the past three years. The Gunnison SCASD grant proposal would assist the community 

in restoring some of this lost air service which is critical to the annual tourism and recreational 

economy in this region of Colorado. 

I encourage you to give the Gunnison grant application every appropriate consideration 

consistent with all applicable lavvs and regulations. Thank you for your consideration, and please 

notify my office of any funds awarded. 

Sincerely, 

AP/.# 

Michael F. Bennet 

United States Senator 

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