AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci says the state’s drug enforcement efforts have been severely jeopardized by federal cuts approved last month in the Omnibus Budget Act, and it could mean the elimination of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency,

“Commissioner (Michael) Cantara told me they may have to look at doing away with the drug unit, and that would be disastrous at a time it is making progress,” Baldacci said Friday.

The governor signed a letter sent to all four members of the state’s congressional delegation outlining the “severe” impact of federal reductions in key law enforcement programs. Attorney General Steve Rowe and Public Safety Commissioner Michael Cantara also signed the letter urging the delegation to seek restoration of the cuts in the new Congress that convenes next month.

The merging of two separate grant programs, the Edward Byrne Memorial Formula Grant and Local Law Enforcement Block Grant, into one program resulted in a 29 percent cut in funds for Maine. That translates into a loss of nearly $500,000, Cantara said.

“It means either reducing our complement of staff by a third, losing eight agents,” he said, “or wiping out all of the drug prosecutors.”

Cantara said either option would be disastrous to state efforts to curb drug dealers. He said the reductions would make MDEA “toothless” and unable to operate effectively. He said there might be a smaller unit created with existing resources, but it would be “a shadow” of the current efforts.

“This is devastating,” Rowe said. “The success of our drug interdiction efforts has been mostly due to this multi-jurisdictional task force that we have. If Congress lets these cuts stand we will no doubt see a proliferation of drug trafficking in Maine.”

The grants have been used to pay for 28 local law enforcement officers that work in the MDEA’s regional task forces. With this funding the MDEA has also been able to support the assignment of 11 full-time and eight part-time task force agents. The funds have also supported six assistant attorneys general for drug prosecution.

“Drug trafficking and drug abuse devastates families, communities and acts as a barrier to economic development,” the three officials wrote. “Maine has not been immune. Heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, diverted prescription drugs and marijuana all pose substantial threats to the health and safety of its citizens.”

All three emphasized in the letter that programs that have worked in deterring drug abuse and the criminal activity generated by drug trafficking, like the specialized drug courts, were also cut in the budget approved by Congress.

Baldacci said he will not propose state funds to make up the federal cuts in the budget he submits to lawmakers next month.

“We just don’t have the resources,” he said,” there are other federal reductions we have to deal with besides these cuts. It’s going to be very, very difficult.”

“We have enough of our own budget problems without these federal cuts, “he said.

Congressmen Tom Allen, D-Me, and Mike Michaud, D-Me., voted against the Omnibus Budget Act. Senator Olympia Snowe, R-Me, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me., voted for the bill, but said they opposed many of the provisions in the 3,300-page bill.