U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation



### Mr. Christopher S. Diamond President and COO Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation 2305 Mt. Werner Circle Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 Dear Mr. Diamond: Assistant Secretary 

## AUG 25 2014 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590



### Thankyou for your letter, addressed to Secretary Foxx, supporting the proposal submitted by Yampa Valley Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. Secretary Foxx asked that I respond to you on his behalf. The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than four may be to communities in the san1e State. To provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility inthe types ofair service development projects that can be funded. On Jnne 30, the Department issued an order setting a deadline ofJuly 31 for applications. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany particular proposal. I assure you, however, 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 ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2014-0113 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this progran1. Sincerely yours,

Susan 

### L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

### SKI & 

### RESORT CORPORATION July 31, 2014 Mr. Anthony Foxx, Secretary ofTransportation United States Department ofTransportation 1200 NewJerseyAvenue, Southeast Washington D.C. 20590 Reference: DOT-OST-2014-0113 Small Community Air Service Development Program 2014 Dear Mr. Secretary,
1. am writing this letterto express my very strong support forthe Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD} Grant application ofthe Yampa Valley Regional Airport, which serves Hayden and Steamboat Springs and much ofnorthwestern Colorado. Our Region suffers from poor air service outside ofthe winterski season. As the Grant application notes, onlyone airline offers air service from April to December and flight frequencies are limited and airfares are extremely high, well above national averages, well above those at Denver and often well above those at other·colorado airports as well. The Airport's Grant application is fora modest $400,000, matched by $300,000 in local funding. The purpose ofthe Grant is to recruit asecond airline to provide service outside ofwinter, and thus provide some schedule options and airfare competition in northwest Colorado during that period. The Airport and its community partners, including the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, have awell thought out plan for recruiting asecond carrier, but some community financial support ofthat carrier will be needed to bring'in new-competition.. '
. This seemsto me to be a perfect use for the SCASD Grant program, as it is intended to aid smaller

### cities with higherfares and limited competition. I urge you to give this Grant application yourfullest con,sider:ation.

ChristopherS.**Di~I)Jond** President & COO ' ·· ·- CSD/sg 

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### cle·SteamboatSprings, Colorado80487 •970.879.6111 •970.879.7844fax •

### www.steamboat.com

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