^a% & TH E SECRETARY O F TRANSPORTATIO N ' •:;L'i'tJ<nj r ? WASHINGTON , D.C . 2059 0 ^-TV^A'-kvi;--;,;^^ . Septembe r

09 , 201 1 ' ^ ' ^ - "

Th e Honorabl e Michae l H . Michau d U.S . Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Con^essma n Michaud : Than k yo u fo r your letter supportin g th e proposa

l submitte db

y ili e Aubum-Lewisto n Municipa l Airpor t fo r agrant under th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Development

Program . Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dto hel

p smaller communitie s addres s ai r

servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dt o hig h airfare s an

dinsulTicien

t service . Unde

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

y mak e amaximu mo f

4 0 grant award s eac h year , althoug h n o more tha n 4 ma y b e to communitie s i

n th e same State . I

n orde r t o provid e communitie s wit

h latitud e in developin g solution s t o thei r ai r ser\'ic e deficiencies , th e statute allow s significan

t flexibilit y in ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Department

issue da n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste din receivin g a gran t thi s yea r file thei r application s b

y Augus t 2 . A s thes e grant

request s ar e pendin g befor e th e Department , 1 a

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

any particula

r proposal . 1 ca

n assure you , however , tha t th e 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 acopy o f

you r lette r an dthi s respons e in Docket DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac^utsid e th e recor do f thi s matter . I appreciat e you r interes t i n thi s program . I

f I ca n provid e fij^he

r infont(<3ltio

n o r assistance , pleas e fea

t fre e t o call me .

# QyL T S I 0-110804-01 3 MlCrfAE L H . MICHAU D 2N O Disinicr , MAPN I VETERANS " AFFAIR S SuOCOMMtnC

E O N HCAl' H CHAIRMA N 

## Congres ao f

tt; e llntiei > i^tate a WASHINOTON , D C 2051 5 SuacoMUrTT KO H RAHnOAOS , Pl'ElME S AW HAZAnoou s MHeniAL S SUBCOMMITTE E O N ECONOMI C OCVEIOPWENT , 

## PHONc:(2O2.225B30 6 ^oitB c 0 1 iRenresentatiuc s „.„„„„,. . .,_. . FAXM202 ) 225-294 3 ,»»,. . ^A^-.^*.-, - PO«K : Bu4o«a » »» O jPaBtftngtott , J3( E 2051 5 EMERGENC YMANAOCMIN T www.houso.gov/mtchau d SMA R BUSINES S SUBCOMMITTE E O N AORICIATUR C AN D TECHNOLOG V SUBCOMMITTC E O N RURA L AN D URBA N ENTREPRENGURSHi

r SUBCOMMITTE E O N TA X AN D FINANC E Jul y 27,201 1
Th e Honorable Ra

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

t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , S B Washington , D C 2059 0

Dea r Secretar y LaHood : I writ e t o you toda

y t o reiterate t o you m

y continue dandon-going suppor t fo r flie applicatio n submittedb y th e Aubum-Lewisto n Municipa l Airpor t fo r fimdin g throug h th e Small Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t (SCASD ) Program . They ar e requestin g $600,00 0 whic h wil l b e use d fo r marketin g andairlin e guarantee s to attrac t ne w passenge

r servic e t o th e airport . A s I mentione di n my letter o f las t yea r date dAugus t

26,2010 , there i s significan t suppor t fo r thi s projec t

withi n th e region . Committedsupporter s o f bringing passenge

r servic e t o the are a include , bu t

ar e no t limite dto , Centra

l Maine Medica

l Center ^ St . Mary' s Medica

l Center , Bate s College , th e Universit

y o f Maine , th e Androscoggi n Count y Chambe r o f Commerc e an dth e Androscoggin Valle y Counci l o f Governments . . • ; . Demonstrating thei r

commitmen

t t o thi s project , th e loca

l communitie s hav e investe din exces s o f $1,000,000 , whic h include s $800,00 0 fo r aterminal upgrade t o suppor t thi s service . Ther

e are'significan

t effort s titiat

are already ; underwa

y t o expandth e facility' s runwa y an dtheir extensiv e carg o business .

t • - • I A s I kno w tha

t yo u are aware , mthes e diflBcul t economi c times , thi s level o f financial coramitmeri

t b y th e Aubur

n Cit y Council an

dth e Levwsto

n Cit y Coxmci l i s mos t extraordinary . I agree wit h the mentirel y tha

t dtirin g difficul

t economi c tunes , it

make s sens e t o suppor

t transportatio n infrastructur

e improvement s tha

t wil l increas e economi c activit y an dwil l provide busmesse s wit

h additiona

l incentive s t o inves t

in , locat e t o or expan dwithi n thi s region .

BANGOR : LEWISTON : PRESQU E ISLE ; WATERVILLE : 23WATiRSin< n 17 S LISSO M STAEEI , GROUN D Fios n 44eMAiNSinEC T 1 6 COMMO N STREE T • BANSOR , M E 0440 1 LewiSiON , M E 0424 0 PREKIU E Isu , M E 0476 S WAimvuC , M E 0490 1 PMOf«:IJ07 l 942-693 6 PlIONE : (207 1 782-370 4 n«NE : 12071764-103 6 PHONE , (207187 3 S71 3 FAX : 1207 ) 942-530 7 FAX ; (2071782-533 0 FAX ; |307 I 764-106 0 FAX ; 12071873-571 7^ * S I 0-110804-01 ,

Th e Honorabl e Ra

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

t o f Transportatio n Pag e 2

I as k tha t you giv e th e Aubur

n Lewisto n Mimicipa

l Airpor t applicatio n fo

r SCAS D fimding ever y possibl e consideration . Th e additio n o f passenge r servic e i s essentia

l fo r insurin g th e economi c recover

y an dgrovrt

h o f th e greate r Lewiston-Aubur

n are ao f Maine . Wit h war mregards . 

# - 7 ^ Michae l H . Michau d Membe r o f Congres s