Pubdate: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT) Copyright: 2000 The Billings Gazette Contact: P.O. Box 36300, Billings, MT 59101-6300 Fax: 406-657-1208 Website: http://www.billingsgazette.com/ Author: PAT BELLINGHAUSEN Of The Gazette Staff U.S. DRUG FUNDS FOR STATE HINGE ON FALL APPROPRIATIONS Whether any part of Montana becomes eligible for federal drug-fighting funds earmarked for "high intensity drug trafficking areas" will depend how much money is appropriated for the federal drug control budget next fall, the deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said Thursday in Billings. Dr. Donald Vereen Jr., who traveled from Washington, D.C., to Montana this week for two days of meetings with Montanans, said the ONDCP has been working to add Yellowstone County to an existing regional high-intensity drug trafficking area. Vereen told The Gazette's editorial board that the "midwest" trafficking area has requested that Yellowstone County be added to its region. Vereen said ONDCP, an agency charged with coordinating all federal drug policy and programs, also has a request pending from Montana to include the entire state in a high-intensity drug trafficking designation. "Something like that won't happen if funds are cut in the budget," Vereen said. Montana Attorney General Joe Mazurek issued a statement Wednesday complaining of federal inaction on Montana's request for this designation as well as for $1 million in drug enforcement and prevention money available to high-intensity drug trafficking areas. On Thursday in Billings, Mazurek repeated his concern that there had been no response to the application that Montana submitted last March, although some neighboring states have such a designation. Mazurek's news release Wednesday stated that the Drug Enforcement Administration is responsible for making this designation. But on Thursday, both the DEA agent in charge in Billings and U.S. Attorney Sherry Scheel Matteucci told The Gazette that the ONDCP must designate high-intensity drug trafficking areas. Matteucci and DEA agent Craig Williams said their offices are supporting Montana's application. When the subject of the drug trafficking area came up at a meeting Thursday morning at Montana State University-Billings, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus criticized the idea of designating only Yellowstone County for this status. He said it should apply to the entire state. "People will just go to the next county," Baucus said. Mazurek said the state Justice Department has requested that the entire state be included with Yellowstone, Cascade and Missoula counties identified as areas of particular concern because they are the most populous counties. Pat Bellinghausen can be reached at 657-1303 or at --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck