HOWAR D P

. "BUCK " McKEO N 25T H DISTRICT , CALIFORNI A COMMITTE E O N ARME D SERVICE S

CHAIRMA N COMMITTE E O N EDUCATIO N AN D TH E WORKFORC E SUBCOMMITTE E O N HIGHE R EDUCATIO N

AN D TH E WORKFORC E MEMBE R O F REPUBLICA N WHI P TEA M MEMBE R O F REPUBLICA N STUD YCOMMITTE E CONGRESSIONA L UNMANNE D SYSTEM S CAUCU S CO-CHAIRMA N 

# Congres s o fth e lanite d State s Iftous co fHeprescntatioc s Washington , ©(120515-052 5 218 4 RAYBUR N HOUS E OFFIC E BUILDIN G WASHINGTON , D C 2051 5 (202)225-195 6 2665 0 TH E OL D ROAD , SUIT E 20 3 SANT ACLARITA , C A9138 1 (6611254-211 1 100 8 WES TAVENU E M-14 , SUIT E E- 1 PALMDALE , C A9355 1 (681)274-968 8 SA N BERNARDINO , INYO , AN D MON O COUNTIE S (800 1 565-433 3 www.mckeon.house.go v Jul y23 , 201 1

Ms

. Aloh a Le

y Associate Directo r Smal l Communit

yProgra m U.S

. Departmen t o fTransportatio n Subject : Alask

a Airline s Lette ro fSuppor t Smal l Communit

yAi rServic

e Developmen t Progra m gran t applicatio n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 Tow n o fMammot h Lake

s C O

Dea rMs

. Ley , I wan t t o expres s m ystron g interes t i n th e abov e applicatio n fro m th e Tow n o fMammot h Lake s fo rth e Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Progra m gran t fo r201 2 an d 2013

. Summe rcommercia l flight s t o th e Mammot h Lakes are a vi a th e Mammoth/Yosemit e regiona l airpor t provid e vita l access fo rtourist s comin g t o th e are a i n spring/summer/fall , an d improv e th e abilit yo fth e loca l government s t o attrac t a broade rbas e o fne wbusines s owners , an d secon d home-owners

. I n addition , th e year-roun d acces s t o Souther n Californi a an d th e res t o f th e US vi a th e shor t flight s fro m LAX , provide s a rea l boos t t o th e qualit yo flif e o fm y constituent s i n thi s area
. Annually , visitor s t o th e are a generat e nearl y$40 0 millio n i n direc t spendin g t o th e loca l econom ywhic h yield s $1 6 millio n i n taxe s an d support s 4,50 0 jobs

. However , man yo fthes e job s ar e seasona l (lastin g onl ya fe wmonths) , an d year-roun d ai rservic e facilitate d b yth e continuatio n o fspring/summer/fal l flight s int o MM H woul d hel p t o sustai n man yyear-roun d positions , i n addition , w e alread ykno wtha t havin g th e optio n t o fl yt o MM H create s man y incrementa l visitor s wh o woul d no t hav e com e t o are a otherwise ; an d has a positiv e environmenta l impac t b yreducin g automobil e traffi co n U.S

. Highwa y395

. Sinc e th e spring/summer/fal l servic e starte d las t yea rwit h on e fligh t dail yfro m LAX , th e publi c an d privat e entitie s i n th e count yhav e strongl ysupporte d th e servic e b ymarketin g i t aggressivel ythroug h cooperativ e programs , fundin g th e infrastructur e an d staffin g need s o fth e airport , an d b ydirectl ysubsidizin g Alaska Airline s fo rth e differenc e betwee n th e minimu m revenu e guarante e tha t the yrequir e an d th e on-boar d revenu e generate d b yth e passengers
.

THI S STATIONERYPRINTE D O N PAPE R MAD E O fRECYCLE D FIBER SHowever , a s th e servic e i s stil l i n th e earl ystage s o fdevelopmen t an d th e cos t o foperatin g th e flight s ha s increase d dramaticall ydu e t o th e cos t o ffuel , th e loca l public/privat e partnershi p has foun d itsel ffundin g th e subsid ycost s t o maintai n th e flight s a t th e expens e o fincrease d marketin g suppor t i n orde rt o gro wth e servic e an d mak e th e flight s profitabl e sooner
. Wit h th e hel p o fth e DO

TSmal l Communit yGrant , th e subsid ycost s ca n b e offse t fo rth e public/privat e partner s an d the yca n reinves t thos e fund s int o a mor e aggressiv e marketin g progra m t o hel p mak e th e servic e profitabl e mor e quickl yan d allo wfo rexpansio n o fthi s ke y drive ro feconomi cdevelopment

. Than k yo u fo ryou rconsideratio n o fthi s ver yimportan t reques t fo rm yconstituents

. Sincerely , 

# ^CuW'S^c^ ^

Howar d P

. "Buck " McKeo n Membe ro fCongres s