Gov. Terry Branstad today released two letters he sent to U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe urging him to consider other options to close the U.S. Postal Service’s budget gap besides shuttering a disproportionate number of Iowa rural post offices.

Branstad, who co-owns a dozen buildings in the state that have the U.S. Postal Service as a tenant, expressed concern that 17.9 percent of the state’s post offices would be closed, compared with 11 percent nationally, under the service’s current plan.

He suggested options to close the budget shortfall, including having postmasters serve multiple locations, reducing service hours or permitting the organization to sell non-postal products.