U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

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 2 5 2014 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter, addressed to Secretary Foxx, supporting the proposal submitted by 

Yampa Valley Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation'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 of 40 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 in the types of air service development projects that can be funded. 

On Jnne 30, the Department issued an order setting a deadline of July 31 for applications. As 

these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any 

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 of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2014-0113 as a contact outside the record of this 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 of Transportation 

United States Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, Southeast 

Washington D.C. 20590 

Reference: DOT-OST-2014-0113 Small Community Air Service Development Program 2014 

Dear Mr. Secretary, 

1. am writing this letter to express my very strong support for the Small Community Air Service 

Development (SCASD} Grant application of the Yampa Valley Regional Airport, which serves Hayden and 

Steamboat Springs and much of northwestern Colorado. 

Our Region suffers from poor air service outside of the winter ski season. As the Grant application notes, 

only one 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 for a modest $400,000, matched by $300,000 in local funding. The 

purpose of the Grant is to recruit a second airline to provide service outside of winter, 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 a well 

thought out plan for recruiting a second carrier, but some community financial support of that carrier 

will be needed to bring' in new-competition.. ' . 

This seems to me to be a perfect use for the SCASD Grant program, as it is intended to aid smaller cities 

with higher fares and limited competition. 

I urge you to give this Grant application your fullest con,sider:ation. 

Christopher S. Di~I)Jond 

President & COO ' · · · -

CSD/sg 

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cle ·Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80487 • 970.879.6111 • 970.879.7844 fax • www.steamboat.com . ~ :