CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A new funding formula emphasizing risk over population means federal homeland security funding to New Hampshire dropped by nearly half in 2006. Funding to Maine dropped by more than half.

Maine received $7.8 million, down from $16.6 million last year. The government sent New Hampshire close to $7.9 million in Department of Homeland Security grants this year, down from $16.8 million last year. Nationwide, grants announced last month for state homeland security projects dropped $800 million to $1.7 billion dollars for the 2006 fiscal year.

Funding to all New England states dropped in 2006, with Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine also receiving about half the amount awarded the previous year. Massachusetts and Vermont face smaller reductions.

Earlier grant money to New Hampshire helped first responders in towns and cities switch to a digital radio system to increase communication between departments. That nearly-completed project has put 2,200 new radios in police, fire and rescue vehicles and stations across New Hampshire and will provide new handheld digital radios to first responders by the end of the year, said Pam Urban-Morin, grants administrator for the state Department of Safety.

The radios were vital to coordinating responses across communities, as happened during last month’s flooding.

Assistant Safety Commissioner Earl Sweeney said less money means increased competition for available grant dollars and a possible delay to some projects.

“Everybody winds up with a cut, regardless of how you slice it,” he said.

“Some of those plans may be deferred because there’s so much less money to go around.”

Concord Fire Chief Chris Pope lamented the drop in funding, but agreed with the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to focus on risk.

“It puts the onus on us to identify our risks and identify what resources are necessary to protect risks,” he said.

His department has received $220,000 for wireless laptops, a digital dispatch system and other communication upgrades.