WASHINGTON - Law-enforcement agencies across the nation and Inland area could find it tougher to crack down on methamphetamine due to cuts in a popular federal grant program.

Funding for Byrne Grants, which help finance drug task forces that often focus on methamphetamine, was cut by $200 million.

The Bush Administration had eliminated funding for the program, saying it and other grant programs were ineffective. But Congress restored $606 million for Byrne Grants in the 2006 fiscal year as part of a Justice Department spending bill. The grant program received $804 million in fiscal 2005. That amount was also a reduction from the previous year.

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