^^A^y " TH E SECRETV\R Y O F TRANSPORTTVTIO N AXlSFORTATIO N WASHINGTON , D,C
. 20590 ' :r H OPERATiCM S Septembe r

09 , 201 1 'c n 

## : 8 A *s : 

## 2 S

The Honorabl e Mik

e Thompso n U.S . Hous e o f

Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Congressma

n Thompson : Than k yo u fo r you r lette r supportin g the proposa

l submitte d b

y th e De l Nort e Count

y Regiona l Airpor t fo r agrant under th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Program , Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe d to help smaller 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 th e statute , the 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 t o communitie s i

n th e same State . I

n orde r to provid e communitie s wit

h latitud e i

n developin g solution s to thei r air servic e deficiencies , th e statute allow s significan

t flexibihty i

n ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O n July 1 , the Departmen t

issue d a 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 grant

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

msure yo u understan d tha t I canno t commen t o n th e merit s o f

any particula

r proposal . I ca

n assure you , however , tha t th e Departmen

t wil l giv e ful

l consideratio n t

o all proposal s tha

t hav e bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , 1 a

mplacin g acopy o f

you r letter and thi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor

d o f thi s matter . I appreciat e your interes t in thi s program . If

f ca n provid e furthe

r informaUf^j r

assistance , please^fireiire e to cal l me .

# t

MIK E THOMPSON I M DlSTBin.CAIIHjnM A coMMrnn t

O N WAY S AN D MtAN S SulilOHMlrrt H (I N IfLALi U .SUUCOMMITTE E O S Slil.liC I RKVENIII ; MRASURK ^ PERMANEN T SELEC T COMMITTE E O N INTELLIGENC E RANKIN

G MEMBER , SuncowMiTTE C O N TRRKORISM . HUMA N INTELLIOENCK , ANALYSI S AN D

COUNTERINTFXUOENC E SUBCOMMITTE

E O N OVERSIGH

T 

### CONGRES S O F TH E UNITED STATES

HOUS E O F REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON . D

C 2051 5 Augus t 18,201 1 

### 810-110825-00 2

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i WMIIMIHIS , D C 3151 5 1302) :25.J3I I WEB : (iiip://iT>iliclhf>mp>i(in.lii)usc.tto v Secretar y Ra y LaHoo d Unite d State s Department

o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne w Jerse y Avenu e S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Dea r LinglOn , UK

^ MD)/K J . ^
I a mwritin g t o reques t

your ful l an d fai r consideratio n fo

r th e De l Nort e Count

y Regional Airport' s 201 1 Small Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t grant submission . Th e airpor

t serve s a s avital link

t o th e nationa l ai r transportatio n systemfo

r th e regio n stretchin g fro

msouthwes t

Orego n t o Norther

n California . Th e goa l o f tli e campaig n i s t o increas e enplanement s and t o reduc e th e pe r passenger subsid y require d under th e Essentia

l Ai r Servic e progra

mi n Crescen

t City , Th e Del Nort

e Count y Regiona l Airpor t i s agai n experiencin g passenger growth , afte

r severa l toug h years . However , th e airpor t i s barel y scratchin g th e surfac e o f it s potential . Th e lack

o f awarenes s o f

th e airport , an d th e service s offered , i s on e o f th e major reason s loca

l passenger s don' t

us e thei r loca l ai r service . Th e applicatio n fromth e De l Norte Count y Regiona l Airpor t request s $200,00 0 t o promot e th e airpor t an d it s service s more effectively i n a n effor t t o ensure long-ter

msustainabilit

y o f loca l ai r servic e i n thi s remot

e stretc h o f

th e Pacifi c coastline . Th e airpor t ha s develope d acomprehensiv e marketin g an d advertisin g placement plan , whic h wil l include th e purchas e o f

ad s o n local an d regional radi o stations , newspaper s an d magazines . Th e campaig n wil l b e focused i n th e Crescent

Cit y MS A an d borderin g countie s i n bot h Norther n Californi aan d Souther

n Oregon . Othe

r type s o f marketin g wil l includ e ne

w websit e material s fo

r eas e o f bookin g an d bette r awarenes s o f

fligh t schedules , wit

h banne r ad s promotin g Sa

n Francisc o service . Th e airpor t als o plan s specifi c outreac h t o are abusinesses , throug h De l Norte Count y Regiona l Airpor t airport-affiliate d employees , to mee

t wit h thos e wh o urave

l mos t fiequently an d ensure the y ar e aware of th e benefit

o f usin g loca l air service . I as k tha t yo u carefhlly consider

th e positiv e impac t

thi s projec t

woul d hav e o n De l Norte Count y and th e surroundin g regio n an d grant it s applicatio n ful

l an d fai r consideration .

MIK E THOMPSO N Membe r o f Congres s

IVtiiic d iif i rcL'ycki l pHpe r