U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Trans!)ortation 

The Honorable James Essenpreis 

Chairman 

JUL 5 2012 

Board of Mineral County Commissioners 

P.O. Box 1635 

Hawthorne, NV 89415 

Dear Mr. Essenpreis: 

1 200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you.for your letter, cosigned by your colleagues, supporting the proposal submitted by the 

Mineral County Economic Development Authority for a grant under the U.S. Department of 

Transportation's Small Communit~- ~ir 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 . 

, a\Vards ~a,ch ye_ar, although no more than 4awards may be to communities irrthe sanie 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 May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by June 11. 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 proposais 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 -2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

~ Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 

, .... 
U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Nancy Black 

Vice Chairman 

Board of Mineral County Commissioners 

P.O. Box 1635 

Hawthorne, NV 89415 

Dear Ms. Black: 

JUL 5 2012 

' 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter, cosigned by your colleagues, supporting the proposal submitted by the 

Mineral County Economic Development Authority 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.4awards . ... . may be to communities in the same State~ 

lri-ordefto provide com,munities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types of projects that can be funded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

. grant this year file their applications by June 11. 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 normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this maher. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 

•' :~. 
U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

Ms. Jerrie Tipton 

Member 

Board of Mineral County Commissioners 

P.O. Box 1635 

Hawthorne, NV 89415 

Dear Ms. Tipton: 

,;; ... .~ .... , ... : . 

JUL 5 2012 

1 200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter, cosigned by .your colleagues, supporting the proposal submitted by the 

·Mineral County Economic Development Authority 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, ~lthoug~ .. no more_ than 4.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 May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file- their applications by June l L ··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 normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT -OST -:2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

~· Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 
·~· ·,.-· 

,, ..... 

BQard of 

l\tiiNERAL- ·co~Y~MMISSIONERS i~\ 

~-: .JAMES ESSf:NPREIS, Chairman TelepHona'i8f-~4i.-2446 - GOVERNING HOARD FOR THE TOWNS OF 

NANCY HLACK, Vice Chairman 1·~7-7S::!is4'196 JIAWTIIORNE, WALKER LAKE, LUNING 

.JERRIE TIPTON, 1\lemher ~~') AND :\UNA 

Hawthorne, NV 894_15 LIQUOR BOARD AND GAMING BOARD 

CIIERRIE GEORGE, Clerk or the Board mincommissioner(alnunualcountyn,-.org COUNTY IIIGIJWA Y COMM ISSJON 

June 7, 2012 

Dear: Aloha Ley, Associate Director, Small Community Program, 

United States Department of Transportation 

On May 81

h 2012 the United States Department of Transportation ("DOT') through Docket DOT-OST- _ 

2012-0069 invited solicitation of proposals from communities and/or consortia of communities 

interested in obtaining a federal grant under the Small Community Air Service Development Program 

("SCASDP"). The purpose of SCASDP is to provide assistance to small I rural communities in 

addressing the issues of air service and airfare in their communities. The SCASDP provides for a 

Private Public Partnership ("3P") framework so as to establish a Consortium for partnering in the 

submission. NATIONS INVESTMENT COMPANY ("NIC") had conceptualized and commenced 

establishment of a Nevada Entity, HIGH SIERRA AIRLINES ("HSA"), as a Nevada regional airline 

1 almost two years ago in collaboration with the Mineral County Economic Development Authority, the 1 

town of Hawthorne and specific businesses. 

Unlike the previous efforts to operate a viable rural regional airline in Nevada, HSA will operate on the 

premise of a comprehensive business model that enables access to the un- and under-utilized assets 

of these rural communities versus dependency on the appropriation of a governmental air service 

, -· passenger -~ubsidy for §rna II .communities (i.e. Essential Air Service.-,EAS.) __ HSA's Business .Model.is 

predicated on HSA being the logistical Access Catalyst for Rural Nevada. In this role, HSA would 

function as the enabler of commerce (e.g., people, goods and services) to these Communities and 

redefine aspects of movement for business to these locations where rubber-tire access is the 

predominant mode for transportation now. 

The Mineral Cot,Jnty · Commission is officially acknowledging its suppor:t and advocacy in the 

implementation plan ofHSA along with its proposal solicitation for the SCASDP Grant. With this Letter, 

We are notifying the DOT of our participation in this Initiative as a Public Partner I Supporter for the I 

HSA Project within this 3P Framework. Mineral County Commission believes that HSA's Business i 

Model . will provide a Strategic business solution that is desperately needed for the transportation 

network of rural Nevada. The presence of a viable rurally-focused regional airline wHI stimulate growth 

· and make reality the promise of sustainable job creation through reliable year-round scheduled air 

service. In formalizing our position as a Supp9rter I Partner of this Initiative, We are voicing our belief in 

the potential of HSA'& operation furthering the economic development and viability of both the rural and 

urban Counties in Nevada. 

Sincerely, 

·'. 

/ 

,.. ... 

James 

/.{>~&-:::.--«·' Essenprfof§, ~ Chair 

/7 ti-?t.U'-n . t.fd.<:..h 

Nancy ~lack, Vice Chair