[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 40 (Thursday, February 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 10826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3779]


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EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Office of National Drug Control Policy


Designation of Twenty-six Counties as High Intensity Drug 
Trafficking Areas

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice lists twenty-six counties designated as additions 
to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program by the 
Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). These 
new counties are: Letcher County in Kentucky and Hamilton and 
Washington Counties in Tennessee as additions to the Appalachia HIDTA; 
Barrow, Bartow, Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth and Henry 
Counties in Georgia and Durham, Johnston, Wake, Wayne and Wilson 
Counties in North Carolina as additions to the Atlanta HIDTA; Shasta 
County, California as an addition to the Central Valley California 
HIDTA; Benton, Jefferson, Pulaski and Washington Counties in Arkansas 
as additions to the Gulf Coast HIDTA; Rock Island County, Illinois as 
an addition to the Midwest HIDTA; Chester and Delaware Counties in 
Pennsylvania as additions to the Philadelphia/Camden HIDTA; and Midland 
and Ector Counties in Texas as additions to the Southwest Border HIDTA 
West Texas Region.
    The new counties are designated pursuant to Office of National Drug 
Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 codified at 21 USCS 1706 et 
seq, to promote more effective coordination of drug control efforts. In 
considering whether to designate an area under this section as a High 
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the Director considered, in addition 
to such other criteria the Director, ONDCP considers to be appropriate, 
the extent to which: (1) The area is a significant center of illegal 
drug production, manufacturing, importation, or distribution; (2) state 
and local law enforcement agencies have committed resources to respond 
to the drug trafficking problem in the area, thereby indicating a 
determination to respond aggressively to the problem; (3) drug-related 
activities in the area are having a significant harmful impact in the 
area, and in other areas of the country; and (4) a significant increase 
in allocation of Federal resources is necessary to respond adequately 
to drug-related activities in the area. This action will support local, 
state and Federal law enforcement officers in assessing regional drug 
threats, designing strategies to combat the threats, developing 
initiatives to implement the strategies, and evaluating the 
effectiveness of their coordinated efforts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Comments and questions regarding this 
notice should be directed to Ms. Cheryl C. Nolan, Acting Deputy 
Director for State, Local and Tribal Affairs, Office of National Drug 
Control Policy, Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC 
20503; (202) 395-6912.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 20th day of February, 2008.
John P. Walters,
Director.
 [FR Doc. E8-3779 Filed 2-27-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3180-02-P