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Agency Budget Summary
Department of Agriculture
U. S. Forest Service
I. Resource Summary
II. Methodology
- The U.S. Forest Service budget structure includes a Law Enforcement and Investigations (LE&I) budget line item within the National Forest System appropriation. Within the LE&I budget line item, funds allocated for drug enforcement activities are based on an analysis of workload that takes into account all law enforcement responsibilities related to the mission of the Forest Service. By law the Forest Service can spend up to $10.0 million per year for activities relating to the use and production of narcotics and controlled substances on lands that it administers.
III. Program Summary
- The Forest Service manages 155 national forests, 20 national grasslands, and 9 land utilization projects on 191.6 million acres in 43 states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Most of this land is generally located in extremely rural areas of the United States. The major concern of the drug enforcement program is the production of cannabis and the risk to national forest visitors, contractors, and employees when they encounter those who are using these public lands for drug production. Reducing the use of the national forests for cannabis production is essential to maintain a safe environment for all users of the National Forest System.
- The Forest Service conducts a limited outreach program in rural areas within and adjacent to National Forest Systems lands under the "Drug Abuse Resistance Education" (D.A.R.E.) Program. The areas of participation are generally in economically depressed communities. In the areas where we have initiated this program, the Forest Service has received positive feedback.
- Investigations:
Cases involving large amounts of cannabis, multiple suspects, weapons and booby trap violations, as well as cases involving clandestine labs, are targeted for investigation. These investigations are usually multi-agency in nature. Drug related assets are identified for seizure and forfeiture action as appropriate. Cannabis cultivation cases not meeting the above criteria are usually targeted for plant and site eradication, and arrests which occur in these cases are usually prosecuted in state courts.
- Cooperative Activities:
Under this activity, funds are used to cover the cost of cooperative agreements with local Law Enforcement agencies. Funds are used to reimburse state and local law enforcement agencies for their expenses as the result of their assistance in drug control operations on National Forest System lands. This assistance includes additional participation in special joint-agency task forces. Reimbursement is made on the basis of Cooperative Agreements between the Forest Service and state and local agencies.
- Detection & Monitoring:
Research is ongoing in the evaluation of new technology for detecting, locating, and monitoring cannabis activities on National Forest System lands. This involves the evaluation and development of additional ground surveillance systems to improve apprehension of individuals involved in illegal drug activities on National Forest System lands, while limiting the exposure and detection of officers performing the surveillance.
IV. Budget Summary
1999 Program
Goal 1: Educate and enable America's youth to reject illegal drugs as well as the use of alcohol and tobacco.
- The FY 1999 program includes $0.125 million which supports Goal 1 of the Strategy. All funds are used for the D.A.R.E. program in rural areas within and adjacent to National Forest System lands.
Goal 5: Break foreign and domestic drug sources of supply.
- The FY 1999 program includes $6.675 million which supports Goal 5 of the Strategy. Funding includes Law Enforcement Agency Support and Detection and Monitoring.
- Major emphasis areas include:
- Determine the extent of cannabis cultivation in the National Forest System and assign law enforcement resources accordingly.
- Encourage state and local agencies to assist in drug enforcement actions within the National Forest System.
- Provide specialized training to Forest Service agents and law enforcement officers as appropriate. Have at least 70 percent of Forest Service law enforcement personnel trained in drug enforcement operations.
- Increase cannabis detection through effective interpretation of ground data and airborne optical-analysis systems. Establish a task group of technical and enforcement personnel to identify and evaluate various systems which may increase the Forest Service's ability to detect cannabis cultivation sites. Coordinate Forest Service task force operations and findings with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- Continue to place emphasis on drug-trafficking activities along the Southwest Border.
2000 Request
- The total FY 2000 drug control budget request is $6.8 million, the same as the FY 1999 enacted level.
Goal 1: Educate and enable America's youth to reject illegal drugs as well as the use of alcohol and tobacco.
- The FY 2000 program is $0.125 million, the same as the FY 1999 enacted level.
Goal 5: Break foreign and domestic drug sources of supply.
- The FY 2000 program is $6.675 million, the same as the FY 1999 enacted level. Highlights include:
- Continue to focus on investigations involving large quantities of cannabis, multiple suspects, weapons and booby trap violations, clandestine drug labs, and drug trafficking.
- Continue special federal, state and local task force groups to work National Forests having serious drug impacts particularly in areas along the Southwest Border.
- Focus on drug trafficking threat from Canada. Western and Northern States with National forests along the Canadian border are members of Project Northstar.
- Continue use of vital National Guard Bureau and other military support resources.
- Continue intelligence collection and analysis of drug activities occurring on all National Forest System lands.
V. Program Accomplishments
- An estimated 4,429 cannabis sites and 316,013 cannabis plants were eradicated in FY 1998. Forest Service Law Enforcement personnel, in conjunction with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, seized 4,624 pounds of processed marijuana, 8.6 pounds of cocaine, and 191 grams of methamphetamine in FY 1998.
- Over $1,353,000 of assets were seized and 2,402 arrests made in conjunction with other agencies by the Forest Service in FY 1998.
- Intelligence and investigations are continuing and being developed on organized cultivation activities occurring on forests in the western states. Coordination with task forces is ongoing along the Southwest Border to address trafficking through National Forest Service lands.
- Briefings and programs are being presented to increase awareness of drug problems that are occurring on National Forest Service lands to outside agencies, civic groups, internal divisions and other law enforcement agencies.
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