e ^TMEMT OF 

UiSw Department of f •:"" rrrrcMTin'-.: i^nnM i 

Transportatio n ^ .= -•, ,.,i,A|IUlvJ 1200 New jersey Avenue, SE 

Office Of the Secretary - ,,, ,0 — o T O 

of Transportation ' •" ' ^ ' <^:- J i 

Woshington, DC 20590 

The Honorable Dan Meyer SEP 2 1 2011 

Wisconsin State Assembly 

Madison, WI 53708-8953 

Dear Mr. Meyer: 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the City of Rhinelander 

and County of Oneida for a grant under the Small Community Air Service Development 

Program (Small Community Program). 

The Small Community 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 use the funds to make a maximum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than four may be to communities in the same State. 

In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides significant flexibility in how the financial assistance 

may be used. 

On July 1, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in 

receiving a grant this year file their applications by August 2. As these grant requests are 

pending before the Department, I am sure you understand that I cannot comment on the 

merits of any particular proposal. I assure you, however, that the Department will give 

full consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2011-0119 as a contact outside liie record of this matter. I appreciate your 

interest in this program. If I can provide further information or assistance, please feel 

free to call me. 

Sincerely yours. 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 
036 

7 

^ State Representative ' Dan Meyer 

August 11, 2011 

Aloha Ley, Associate Director 

Small Community Air Service Development Program 

United States Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, D. C. 20590 

Re: Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport Grant Proposal 

Dear Ms. Ley, 

f am writing in suppoil oDhe Rhiuelander/Oneida Coiint>' Airport opp!isatianfor.a.SmaU 

Community Air Service Grant. 

The Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport recently lost passenger air-carrier service that had been 

provided for many years by Delta Airlines. It is my understanding that Delta Airlines undertook 

a restructuring and reduced its regional fleet of aircraft thus discontinuing service to the 

Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport. 

As a consequence of these actions Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport has lost the majority of its 

connectivity with the national and global air transportation system. The Rhinelander/Oneida 

Cburity'Airport' management has identified a solution in recruiting air service to Chicago/O'Hare 

through a hew air carrier. 

Airports, aviation and aviation-related industries play a significant role in the economic success 

of Wisconsin communities. To ensure full participation in the world economy, Wisconsin has 

developed an advanced interconnected system of highway, air, rail and water travel that can take 

people and goods from one city to any destination in the world. 

Assistance irom the Small Community Air Service Grant would help attract a new airline carrier 

by deferring start up costs, and provide Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport with even greater 

global access. 

I appreciate your consideration for the Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport application for the 

Small Community Air Service Grant and endorse efforts to reconnect and improve 

Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport to the rest of the world and the world economy. 

Sincerely, 

^ < 

Dan Meyer 

5toft Reprisentdtive "' 

S4*'Assembly iMstilct 

. Post Office. Eqjt. 8953-• Madison, Wisconsin 53.'?08T8953r (608)-266-7141 

Fax; (608) 282-3634 • Toll-free legislative hotline: (888) 53.4rOQ'34 • Rep.Meyer@.legis.wi.gov