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us . Department o f 120 0 Ne w jerse yAvenue , S E Transportatio n ^_

_ ^

Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O f th e Secretar

ySE P 2 0 ZOl l o f Transportatio n



### Th e Honorable Howar

dP
. McKeo

n - U.S
. Hous e o

f Representative s ' ^ OQ ^ Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Congressma

n McKeon : -. ? -3-f : n L O C O 

### Than k you fo r you r lette r supporting the proposa

l submittedb

y th e Town o f

Mammot h Lake s fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Smal l Communit y Program)
. Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwas establishe dto hel

p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relate dto hig h airfare s andinsufficien

t service
. Unde r the statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e the funds to mak

e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s each year , although n o mor e tha n fou r ma y b e t o communitie s i n th e sam e State
. I n orde r to provide communitie s wit h latitude in developing solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , the statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility i

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

t issueda n orde r requesting tha

t communitie s intereste di

n receiving agran

t thi s yea r file thei r application s b

y Augus t 2
. A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e you understandtha

t I canno t commen t on the merit s of an y particula r proposal
. I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will give ful l consideratio n to all proposal s tha t hav e bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacing acopy o f

you r lette r andthi s respons e in Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outsid e the recor dof thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . I

f I ca n provid e fiirther information or

assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e to call me . Sincerel y yours .

AlohaLe y Associat e Director Smal l Communit

y Progra mHOWAR 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 SUBCOMMITTt E O

N HIGHE R EDUCATION AN D TH E WORKFORC

E MEMBE R O F REPUBLICA N WHI P TEA M MEMBE R O F REPUBLICA N STUD Y COMMITTE E CONGRESSIONA L UNMANNE D SYSTEM S CAUCU S

CO-CHAIRMA

N 218 4 RAYBUR N HOUS E OFFIC E BUILDIN G WASHINGTON , D C 2051 5 (202)225-196 6 

# T Congres s o f th e Bnite dState s i^ousEofHeprEBcntatioe s HDashington , B d20515-0525 2666 0 TH E OL D ROAD , SUIT E 20 3 SANT A CLARITA , C A 9138 1 (661)254-211 1 100 8 WES T AVENU E M-14 , SUIT E E- 1 PALMDALE , C A 9356 1 (661)274-968 8 SA N BERNARDINO , INYO , AN D MON O COUNTIE S (800 ) 565-433 3

" www.mckeon.house.go v Jul y 23 , 201 1
Ms

. Aloh a Le

y Associate Directo r Smal l Communit

yProgra m U.S

. Departmen t o f Transportatio n Subject : Alask

a Airline s Lette ro f Suppor t Smal l Communit

yAi rServic

e Developmen t Progra m gran t applicatio n Docket DOT-OST-2011-011 9 Tow n o f Mammot h Lake

s 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 f Mammot h Lakes 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 Lake s are a vi a th e Mammoth/Yosemit e regiona l airpor t provid e vita l acces s fo rtourist s comin g t o th e are a i n spring/summer/fall , an d improv e th e abilit yo f th e loca l government s t o attrac t a broade rbas e o f ne w busines 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 f lif e o f m 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 f thes e job s ar e seasona l (lastin g onl ya fe w months) , an d year-roun d ai rservic e facilitate d b yth e continuatio n o f spring/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 w tha 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 ha s a positiv e environmenta l impac t b yreducin g automobil e traffi c o 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 f th e airport , an d b ydirectl ysubsidizin g Alask a 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 STATIONER

Y PRINTE D O

N PAPE R MAD E O

F RECYCLE D FIBER

S

# DO C

However , a

s th e servic e i s stil l i n th e earl ystage s o f developmen t an d th e cos t o f operatin g th e flight s ha s increase d dramaticall ydu e t o th e cos t o f fuel , th e loca l public/privat e partnershi p ha s foun d itsel f fundin g th e subsid ycost s t o maintai n th e flight s a t th e expens e o f increase d marketin g suppor t i n orde rt o gro w th e servic e an d mak e th e flight s profitabl e sooner . Wit h th e hel p o f th e DO

T Smal 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 w fo rexpansio n o f thi s ke y drive ro f economi c development

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

. Sincerely , 

# ?^:^W:S.Jc^$>s C

Howar d P

. "Buck " McKeo n Membe ro f Congres s