ONDCP Seal
 PolicyPolicy
IV. Agency Budget Summaries

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT


  1. RESOURCE SUMMARY

  2. METHODOLOGY

    • The BLM's drug control program is a proportionate share of its law enforcement activities, comprising less than one half percent of the BLM's current Appropriation Account. The BLM's primary drug control efforts focus on specific public land drug problems, such as marijuana cultivation, drug manufacturing sites, dumping and smuggling activities, that directly increase domestically available drugs and endanger the public land resources, public land users, and Federal employees. These activities also affect BLM's legitimate abilities to effectively manage the public lands.

  3. PROGRAM SUMMARY

    • The BLM is responsible for the management of approximately 264 million acres of public land located primarily in the western United States and Alaska. Most of BLM's lands are remote and relatively uninhabited which create continuing problems with drug activities. These drug activities adversely impact resources (e.g., diversion and pollution of waters, contamination of soil with hazardous wastes, extermination of wildlife, and destruction of timber and vegetation, etc.) and are continuing safety hazards to visitors who utilize the recreational and wilderness opportunities available on the public lands. Illicit drug activities also present continuing hazards to BLM employees who work and manage the public lands.

    • The focus of the reinvigorated drug enforcement program for the BLM is to eliminate marijuana cultivation, drug manufacturing and distribution/trafficking which either directly impact the public land resources or public safety of those who utilize the public lands. BLM's drug enforcement efforts concentrate on reducing the domestic production of marijuana, drug manufacturing and trafficking which occur on the public lands. BLM's program focuses on field patrol, detection and investigative activities, and cooperative support to State and local law enforcement agencies affecting public lands.

    • The BLM's anti-drug priorities are to counter illegal drug activities on public lands by:

      • Enforcing all applicable laws and regulations relating to the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and possession of controlled substances on public lands, including the protection of persons and property from harm resulting from illegal drug activity;

      • Seeking aggressively the prosecution of manufacturers, growers, traffickers, and drug users on the public lands;

      • Coordinating drug law enforcement, detection, and suppression activities with other Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies to maximize available resources to protect the public lands;

      • Obtaining and coordinating drug-related intelligence to assist in the investigation, interdiction and prosecution efforts of drug offenders utilizing the public lands for their illicit activities;

      • Increasing air and ground patrols to detect and eradicate drugs cultivated or manufactured on the public lands; and

      • Continuing the eradication of cultivated marijuana and other illegal substances on the public lands and returning those impacted public lands to their natural condition.

  4. BUDGET SUMMARY

    1998 Program

    Goal 5: Break foreign and domestic drug sources of supply.

    • BLM's FY 1998 drug program provides $5.0 million in funding and 35 FTEs. This includes $3.7 million in the Resource Protection and Law Enforcement subactivity and $1.3 million in funding derived from other benefiting program subactivities at the State Office level. The additional funding from benefiting subactivities ($1.3 million) was allocated to those States that have significant marijuana cultivation, drug manufacturing, and trafficking activities that affect other programs. The programs identified for this subactivity funding are in Arizona/New Mexico, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.

    • BLM will provide support to drug interdiction efforts on public lands adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders when requested. Information indicating drug smuggling activities on public lands will be referred by BLM law enforcement officers to Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies having primary interdiction responsibilities. However, when such smuggling activities immediately threaten public land resources or their users, BLM law enforcement officers will initiate action to protect those resources or users.

    • BLM will utilize existing funding to purchase equipment, to increase aircraft overflights for marijuana detections, to fund existing vacancies within the law enforcement program and to increase cooperative law enforcement agreements associated with drug investigations and enforcement. The funding will also fund travel and associated salary costs for drug enforcement activities.

    • BLM will concentrate its drug enforcement efforts on specific drug problems occurring on public lands such as marijuana cultivation and drug manufacturing which directly endanger natural resources, public land users, and BLM employees.

    1999 Request

    Goal 5: Break foreign and domestic drug sources of supply.

    • The FY 1999 drug control request for Goal 5 activities is $5.0 million. These resources will allow the BLM to sustain its reinvigorated drug control activities at their current high level. The drug funding will be allocated at $3.7 million within the Resource Protection and Law Enforcement subactivity and $1.3 million for all other benefiting subactivities apportioned at the individual State Office level as appropriate.

      • Investigations, Detection and Eradication: In FY 1999 the Drug Control Coordinators located in the BLM State Offices, along with special agents, law enforcement rangers, and support personnel, will continue to detect, investigate, and eradicate drug activity on the public lands and to return those impacted lands to their natural states. Interagency cooperation will be encouraged to maximize existing resources from all agencies, including the participation in multi-agency rural crime and drug enforcement task forces and expansion of paid and non-paid law enforcement agreements.

      • Intelligence: The BLM will continue to provide intelligence information, to support the intelligence communication center and incident tracking network, and to expand data sharing among all law enforcement agencies. The BLM will continue its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with U.S. Customs to access their Treasury Enforcement Computer System (TECS/IBIS) which provides BLM access to criminal intelligence information that impacts drug activity on the public lands.

      • State/Local Assistance: In FY 1999 the BLM will continue utilizing funded and unfunded law enforcement agreements with State and local law enforcement agencies. These cooperative agreements are designed to assist the BLM in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting drug law violations that occur on or affect the public lands. Specific agreements may also provide assistance and backup to field law enforcement officers. Coordination activities will be focused on reducing drug production on the public lands through continued cooperative efforts. Liaison efforts with county sheriffs, the National Guard, and State enforcement agencies will continue to ensure coordination of special operations.

      • Prevention: Emphasis will be placed on public education efforts which are targeted at informing visitors and users of the public lands about the dangers of drug activities where these activities are high and will seek to enlist their assistance in reporting suspicious activities observed on the public lands. Efforts will also include increasing media coverage and participation in the coverage of activities and results of drug enforcement efforts for deterrent effects.

      • Administrative Support: A portion of the FY 1999 budget request includes the general administrative program costs associated with the costs of procurement, personnel services, and maintenance agreements for radio and electronic equipment supporting drug enforcement efforts. This funding will also cover rental of office space, FTS 200 phone charges, mail service, etc.

  5. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS

    • In FY 1997 the BLM, utilizing its own law enforcement resources and cooperative multi-agency operations, conducted in excess of 172 drug investigations which resulted in the seizure of approximately 159,024 marijuana plants, 1,214 kilograms of processed marijuana, 4.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and 3 drug labs from the public lands and adjacent lands. The estimated value of the drugs seized was $350,724,051 and resulted in the arrest of 74 individuals and issuance of citations to an additional 63 suspects. In addition, approximately $271,320 in cash and other assets were seized along with 21 firearms. These statistical accomplishments represents the BLM's most successful drug suppression effort for any year to date.

    • Idaho BLM law enforcement officers in multi-agency operations with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies eradicated over 109,000 marijuana plants from public and adjacent private lands in FY 1997. Indictments for 19 individuals are pending before the Federal Grand Jury.

    • California BLM law enforcement officers in multi-agency operations with Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers eradicated over 49,000 marijuana plants. One of these multi-agency efforts resulted in the arrest of a marijuana cultivator who was also responsible for the distribution of an estimated 300,000 dosage units of LSD.

    • Arizona/New Mexico BLM continued to support U.S. Customs in a number of anti-smuggling efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border on a request basis.

    • BLM has continued to participate in the Department of Interior's (DOI) random drug testing program and provide yearly employee awareness programs that focus on drug abuse identification in the workplace. These presentations are consistent with DOI and national guidelines for reducing and eliminating drugs in the workplace.

    • The BLM also continued it public outreach efforts in primary and secondary schools by describing the adverse effects of drug activities on public land management and recreational use as well as the dangers of personal use.