U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

Of Transportation 

The Honorable John Hoeven 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Hoeven: 

1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the application submitted by the Bismarck Airport for a 

grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation'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 or 

insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than four awards 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 flexibility in the types of projects that can be funded. 

On June 24, the Department issued an order setting a deadline of July 26 for applications. As 

these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any 

particular proposal. I assure you that the Department will give full and fair consideration to all 

proposals that have been properly filed. 

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

DOT-OST-2013-0120 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 
JOHN HOEVEN NORTH OAKOTA 

338 RUSSEU SENATE OfFICI:: BUill)ING 

TELtPHOI'IE: l2021 224-2551 

f'AXo (202\ 224-7!199 

hoevlm.senate.gov 

Ms. Brooke Chapman 

Associate Director 

CJl.:lnttcd ~mtcs ~cnotr WASHINGTON. DC 20510 

July 25, 2013 

Small Community Air Service Development Program 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W86-307 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Reference: Docket DOT-OST-2013-0120 

Dear Ms. Chapman, 

COMMITTEES: 

AGRICIJL T\JRE 

APPROPRIATION$ 

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

INDIAN AFFAIRS 

I am writing to express my interest in the application submitted by the 

Bismarck Airport to the Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) 

program, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. I appreciate your 

time and attention. 

As you may know, North Dakota's economy is growing very rapidly and the 

state has become a major producer of oil and natural gas. Air transportation is a 

critical component for continuing this economic growth and the efficient movement 

of people by air is essential to sustaining the level of economic activity taking place in 

the Bismarck area. However, seat and flight capacity to Bismarck have been reduced 

in recent years despite the increased demand, resulting in some of the highest air fares 

in the nation and sending a clear signal that additional air service competition is 

needed. To correct this situation, the Bismarck Airport has submitted an application 

to the SCASD program for funding to support new network air service. Addressing 

such air service challenges is the precise reason for which the program was created by 

Congress. 
Accordingly, I sincerely hope the Bismarck Airport application receives the full 

and fair consideration it deserves. Again, thank you for your time. Please keep me 

informed of the review process, and feel free to contact my office at (202) 224-2551. 

10:44 

Sincerely' 

~~-11&!1-'C.tC.••--·--.· ..... ---, 

John Hoeven 

U.S. Senator