## THE SECRETARY OfTRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, DC 20590



### The Honorable,

### Bill Flores U.S House ofRepresentatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman Flores: September 2014

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### Thankyou for your letter supportingthe appUeat.ion submitted by Texas 

### A&M University for a 

### grant underthe U.S. 

### DepartmentofTransportation's Small Community Air 

### Service Development Program. The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high

### airfares and ins,ufficient service. Underthe statute, the Depl:ntment may make a 

### maximum of

### 40 grant awards each year, although no .more than four may be to communities in the same Stale. To provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service defic.iencies,. the statute provides flexibility in the types ofair servicedevel.opment projects that 

### canbe funded. OnJune

**30~** 

### the Department issued an order setting a deadline ofJuly31 for applications. As these grant requests are pendingbefore the Department, I 

### cannotcomment on the merits ofany particularproposaL 

### I assure you,

**however~** 

### thm the Department will give 

### full and fair consideration to 

### all proposals thathave been pmperly 

### filetL 

### As. 

### is oUr standard practice, 1

### am placing a copy ofyourletter and 

### this !'espouse in Docket 

### DOT-OST-2014-0113 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. 

### Iappreciate your interest in this program.



### Sh~ I } I


### Anthony R. FoxxBILL FLORES MEMBER OF CONGRESS

17TH DISTRICT, TEXAS ASSISTANT WHIP 1030 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 205J5 PHONe: (202) 225-6105

FAX: (202)225-0350 

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# 1!)otme ofl\epresentatibes**~la5fJfngton,** J)(lt 20515-4317 http:IJFiores.House.gov

The Honorable Anthony Foxx Secretary ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590 July 30, 2014 COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMtTTEE ON F.NEflGY ANO MINERAL RESOURCES SuacoMMrrTEE oN FISHERIES, WiLDLIFE, OCEANS AND INSLILAR AFFAIRS COMM!TTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS CHAIRMAN, 5t.J6COMMITIEE ON

ECONOMIC OPPoRTUNITY

RE: Application ofTexas A&MUniversity for Participation in the Small CommunityAir Service DevelopmentProgram: Docket OST-2014-0113 Dear Secretary Foxx: As the Representative for the 17th Congressional District ofTexas, I am pleased to write this letter in support of Texas A&M University's application for funding under the United States**Departm~nt** of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. Texas A&M University is the owner ofEasterwood Airport in College Station, Texas, and its application represents the combined interests and objectives of the Research Valley Air Service Partnership, a public/private partnership formed to improve air service at Easterwood Airport In demonstration ofthe shared commitment to tllis initiative, the requested $525,000 grant from the Department ofTransportation will be combined with $175,000 in cash funding and $50,000 ofin-kind funding from the Partnership to develop and implement the Easterwood Air Service Action Plan. The Bryan/College Station area served by Easterwood Airport has grown by an estimated 34 percent since 2000, according to the United States CensusBureau. The need to maintain and continue this growth is a primary reason for the community's focus on improving local air service. This initiative is also vital to the many economic development efforts that are cutTently underway in the Research Valley. I strongly support.Texas A&M University's application and the community's dedicated initiative to improve air service in my district. Thankyoufor your full consideration ofthis application.

Bill Flores Member ofCongress, TX-17 CC: Ms. Brooke Chapman, Associate Director Small Community Air Service Development Program, United States Department ofTransportation WACO 400 AusTIN AVENUE, SuiTE 302 WACO: TX 76701 PHONE: {254) 732-0748 BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION 3000 BR.IARCREST DRIVF-, SUITE 406 BRYAN,.TX 77802 PHONE! (979) 703-4037

FAx: (979) 703-8845 AUSTIN/PFLUGERVILLE 14205 BURNET ROAD,**SUIT~** 230 AUSTIN, TX 78728 PHONE: {512) 373-3378

FAx:{512)373-3511