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. 

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# I TH E SECRETAR Y O F TRANSPORTATIO N WASHINGTON , D.C

. 2059 0 Septembe r

09 , 201 1 

### ::ARTMENTO r

•IS^^ORWIO N : J " O^ERATJON S

2 ^

Th e Honorabl e Olympi aJ
. Snow e UnitedState s Senate Washington , D C 2051 0 Dea r Senator Snowe : Than k yo u fo r your lette r supportin g th e proposa

l submitte db

y th e Aubum-Lewisto n Mimicipa l Airpor t fo r agrant under th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Development

Program
. Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dto hel

p smaller communitie s addres s air

servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dto hig h airfare s an

dinsufficien

t service
. Unde

r th e statute , the U.S
. Department o f Transportatio n ma

y mak e amaximumo f

4 0 grant award s eac h year , although n o more tha n 4 ma y b e to communitie s i

n th e same State
. I

n orde r t o provide communitie s wit

h latitud e i

n developin g solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statute allow s significan

t flexibilit y i n ho w th e financia

l assistanc e ma

y b e used
. O n Jul y 1 , th e Department

issue da n order requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste di

n receivin g a gnm t thi s yea r file thei r application s b

y Augus t 2
. A s thes e grant

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

msure you understan dtha t 1 canno t commen t o n th e merit s o f

an y particula

r proposal
. I ca

n assure you , however , tha t the Departmen

t will giv e ful

l consideratio n t

o al l proposal s tha

t hav e been properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop y o f

you r lette r andthi s respons e i

n Docket DOT-OST-201 1 -011 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e igcor

do f thi s matter . 1 appreciat e your interes t i n thi s program . If

I ca n provid e furthei/ftformaM n o r assistance , pleas e fee

l fi*k t o call me .OLYMPI A J

. SNOW E MAIN E 15 4 RusscLi

. SENAT E OFFIC E BuiLoiN a

(2021224-534 4 Wo b Site : litlp.'/IGnoV'C.scnato.ga v

DEPUT Y WHI P 

# Snitc d^mte s Senat e WASHINGTON , D

C 20510-190 3 Jul y 18,201 1 SlO-110803-01 5
COMMERCE , SCIENCE , AN D TRANSPORTATIO N OrcAMS , ATMOGPtitnt , Fisncntc s AN D CoAs rGUAR D SuocoMMmc c

FINANC E INTELLIGENC E RANKIN G MEMBER , SMAL L BUSINES S Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y o f Transportatio n U.S
. Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 40 0 711 1 Street , S W Washington , D C 2059 0 Dea r Mr
. LaHood , I a mwritin g t o expres s m

y stron g suppor

t fo r th e applicatio n submitte db y th e Aubum

Lewisto n Municipal Airport t o th e Unite dState s Departmen t o f Transportation' s Offic e o f Aviatio n Analysi s for

ftmding unde r

it s Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Development

(SCSAD ) program . Consisten t wit h th e SCAS D program' s missio n t o brin g abou t additional ai r

service , th e Aubum-Lewisto n Municipa l Airpor t seek s apartne r

i n th e Departmen t

o f Transportatio n t o restor e adequate passenge r ai r servic e t o th e central Main e regio n for th e first tim e i n ove r

2 0 years . Bot

h marke t researc h an dabundan t

suppor t firomth e busines s communit y demonstrate s tha t there appear s t o b e sufficient deman dan dmarke t

siz e t o link

th e Aubum-Lewisto n catchmen t are at o th e nationa l ai r

transportatio n system . Th e Airpor t seek s t o attrac t

a commercia

l ai r carrie r fo r regularl y schedule ddirec t flights t o Boston , aconcep t tha t i s wholeheartedl y endorse db y th e regio n an dinclude s ove r $1. 5 millio n in investmen t fi-omth e twi n cities
. Clearly , th e Aubum-Lewisto n are alack s adequate passenge r ai r servic e fo r busines s travelers , andbot

h th e communit

y an dregio n believ e that

loca l ai r servic e i s avita l component o f it s overal l economi c an dcommimit y developmen t

mix
. Dependabl e SCSA D i s ake y factor in bot h jo b growt

h andbusines s developmen t i n Androscoggi n County
. It i s wit h thi s i n min dtha

t I len dm y suppor t t o thi s proposal
. Than k yo u fo r you r tim e an deffor

t o n behal f o f th e Aubum-Lewisto n Municipal Airport
. I urg e your

mos t carefu l consideratio n o f

thi s application , subjec t

t o al l applicabl e law s an d regulations , an das k

tha t yo u pleas e kee p m e informe do f th e statu s o f

th e revie w process . I

n additio n t o notifyin g m

y D C staff

, pleas e notif

y Mar k Konti o o f

my Bango r

staf f a t (207)945

- 043 2 or b y e-mai l a

t mark_kontio@snowe.senate,go v whe n afinal determinatio n ha s bee n made
.

OLY M Unite d J. " SNOWE ' ate s Senato r

AUBUR N Tw o GnEA

T FAIL S PLAI A SUIT E 7 B AuBurtN

. M E 0421 0 (2071786-245 1 AUCUSI A 4 0 WESTIB N AVENUE , SUIT E 408 C AucuSTA , M E 0433 0 1207)G22-829 2 SANaO R 20 2 HAnto w STREET , SUIT E 21 4 BANCon , M E 0440 1 (207 ) 945-043 2 BiDOCFon o 22 7 MAI N STREE T BiODErofto

. M E 0400 S 1207 1 282-414 4

I N MAIN E CAL L TOLL-FRE E 1-800-432-159 9 PRINTE D O N RECYCLE D PAPE R POBTLAN D 3 CANA I PLAZA , SUIT E 60 1 POHTLAND , M E 0410 1 (207 ) 874-088 3 MAIN E RELA Y SERVIC E TD D 1-955-332 3 PRESOU E ISL E 18 9 ACADEM

Y STREET , SUIT E 3 PRESOU E Isic , M E 0478 9 (207 ) 764-S12 4