Augus t

19 , 201 0 To : Denni s DeVany , Chief , Essentia l Ai

r Servic e Divisio n Re : ESSENTIA

L AI RSERVIC E - DOT-OST-1997-278 4 From : Jil l Goldthwait , Director , Offic e o f Governmen t

Relation s Th e Jackso n Laboratory , Ba r Harbor , Main e Contac t Information : 207-288-629 1 <jill.goldthwait@jax.org > COMMENT

S O N ESSENTIA

L AI RSERVIC E SUBSID Y Than k yo u fo r th e opportunit y t o commen t o n subsidie s fo

r th e Essentia l Ai

r Servic e progra min Maine
. Th e Jackso n Laborator y strongl y support s a n EA S subsid y fo r Colga n Air
. O

f th e tw o Colga n Ai r

option s w e prefe r

th e non-sto p servic e fro mTrenton , Main e (Ba r Harbo r Airport ) t o Boston
. Th e Jackso n Laboratory (JAX ] i s on e o f Maine' s 2 0 larges t

employers , with abou t 1,300 employee s i n rura l Ba r Harbor , Maine
. Ou

r campu s populatio n i s large r tha n ove r hal f o f Maine' s 49 0 towns . JA

X i s agenetic s researc h facilit y founde di

n 192 9 an dstrongl y supporte db y th e National Institute s o f Healt h fo r it s expertis e in genetic s researc h an din th e development , maintenanc e an ddistributio n o f mous e model s o f huma n disease
. Ou r internationa l reputatio n i n thi s fieldmean s w e hav e aconstan t flow o f scientist s i n an dou t o f ou r Ba r Harbo r facility
. Ou

r staf f o f researc h scientist s travel s frequentl y t o develo p an dmaintai n collaboration s with othe r researcher s aroun d th e world
. Wit

h afacilit y in Californi aan don e unde r developmen t

in Florida , trave l demand s b y JA

X personne l ar e increasin g constantly
. Scientist s fromaroun dth e glob e com e t o JA X t o wor k

o r study
. Th e Course s an d Conference s progra mhost s an estimate d1,200 participant s an dfacult y fro m outsid e o f Maine
. Pres s Week

bring s scienc e writer s fro maroun dth e countr y t o learn abou t

breakthroug h discoverie s in genetics
. Ove r thirt y hig h schoo l an d colleg e student s atten dou r Summe r Studen t Progra meac h year . Th e mos t convenien t

way t o reac h ou r

rura l destinatio n fro

mou t o f stat e i s throug h th e Ba r Harbo r Airport
. Strang e a s i t

may seem , th e nex t

closes t airpor t (Bangor , Maine ) i s gettin g farthe r

away . Increasin g traffic , includin g almos t overwhelmin g seasona l loads , plu s aproliferatio n o f traffi c contro l device s betwee n Mt
. Desert Islan dan dBango r

ha s turne dwha t

use dt o b e an hour' s tri p int o a n hou r an dahalf

. Ther e ar e man y challenge s t o maintainin g 1,300 year-round , well-pai djob s in Dow n Eas t Maine
. Thank s t o th e Ba r Harbo r Airport , convenien t

ai r transportatio n ha s no t bee n on e o

f them
. Th e recen t

upgrad e t o 34-sea t

Saa b aircraf t ha s been asignifican t improvemen t

i n fligh t qualit y an davailability , an dconsiderabl e federal an dloca l expens e wen t

int o makin g th e upgrad e possible
. I n FYIO , 1,08 6 ticket s fo

r flight s throug h th e Ba

r Harbo r Airport b y JA X personne l wer e purchase dthroug h ou r trave l agent . W

e ar e no t abl e t o trac k

thos e ticket spurchase ddirectl y b y employee s no r thos e purchase db y inboun dscientists , students , cours e facult

y an dothers , bu t

th e 1,08 6 figure certainl y represent s les s tha n hal f o f all flight s in an dou t

o f Ba r Harbo r relate dt o JAX

. Ai r servic e throug h th e Ba r Harbo r Airpor t i s essentia l t o th e futur e o f Th e Jackso n Laboratory
.