Rafting the Border

[SHANEA]

Mellow water, mind-bending sights and the music of Butch Hancock add up to first-rate outdoor therapy.

[presidio]

Mellow water, mind-bending sights and the music of Butch Hancock add up to first-rate outdoor therapy.

From the article--

a place where modern rules do not seem wholly applicable.

the river marks a 1,250-mile stretch of the boundary between the United States and Mexico.

On our last day, we took a quick side hike up Fern Canyon, a hidden notch on the Mexican side of the river

The article cleverly avoids any discussion of the border closure and this activity points yet again to the disconnect of policy. Here you have folks openly crossing the river, and of course both the NPS and DHS know it happens and they look the other way. It is illegal to cross to Mexico for a taco; it is entirely legal to cross if you are boating the river. The NPS could choke off most of this illegal crossing situation by just not issuing any more river permits but, remember, money talks (permit fees by commercial outfitters). Border security is way down the list on this one.

I just don't feel safe knowing anybody can put a boat in the river and go back and forth across the international boundary without nary a concern from the folks that think the informal crossings at Boquillas and Santa Elena somehow represent a threat to national security. What I don't feel safe about is how these agencies implement restrictive decisions without public process and then create exceptions where convenient. Puleeese.

How about somebody from the NPS explaining why floating the river and exploring Mexico is different from crossing for a taco. I'm all ears.

[chisos_muse]

Why someone hasn't thought of the brilliant idea of opening up a taco stand in Fern Canyon is beyond me!

[presidio]

Why someone hasn't thought of the brilliant idea of opening up a taco stand in Fern Canyon is beyond me!

You're right!

Seriously, how would getting a river permit and then rowing yourself the 20 yards to the Boquillas landing (instead of paying un dolar to the local boatman) be any different than what happens on every commercial, private river permit? It wouldn't, but you can be sure the NPS and DHS wouldn't see it that way. It's such a sham process it defies logic and we let them get away with it.

[SHANEA]

Why someone hasn't thought of the brilliant idea of opening up a taco stand in Fern Canyon is beyond me!

You're right!

Seriously, how would getting a river permit and then rowing yourself the 20 yards to the Boquillas landing (instead of paying un dolar to the local boatman) be any different than what happens on every commercial, private river permit? It wouldn't, but you can be sure the NPS and DHS wouldn't see it that way. It's such a sham process it defies logic and we let them get away with it.

 

[cjacob]

Correct me if I am wrong.  But I thought a passport was now needed to do these trips since you had the chance of stepping ground on the float trip.  I also thought there was a customs form that was also required. 

[presidio]

Correct me if I am wrong.  But I thought a passport was now needed to do these trips since you had the chance of stepping ground on the float trip.  I also thought there was a customs form that was also required. 

No, that is not the case.

First, a couple of quotes lifted from the park's webpages on river use--

A good destination is Fern Canyon, a beautiful side canyon approximately two miles upstream, which has ferns growing where water is seeping out of the canyon walls.

Camping at these sites on the Texas side is prohibited, and is strongly discouraged on the Mexican side of the river.

The official park policy/information fully encourages boaters to stop and hike in Mexico at Fern Canyon. Then, they discourage camping in Mexico at particular locations (from the camping advisory page).

In the case of Fern Canyon, the NPS promotes entering Mexico (but the border is closed, isn't it?) and with respect to camping they discourage something they have no control over (fortunately, they can't make the rules for other countries).

Now, as to your questions. There is no mention of passport requirements; this is because there isn't any. Nor is there a customs declaration requirement.

Why, would this be the case? Because no one cares. It all is conveniently overlooked. Who would enforce all this? Not the boat companies...they don't care nor do they have authority. Not the NPS. Despite the fact that they can be delegated customs duties, they maintain they can't do the work of DHS (which is patently untrue as they have done it in the past and they have similar duties in parks on the Canadian border).

DHS agencies aren't going to be there checking for a variety of reasons. One is the practicality of a labor-intensive operation spread over lots of miles, remote locations, and relatively few boaters. However, perhaps more important is the situation that would arise if they WERE out there doing all these functions. It would thrust into public view the incomprehensible incongruity of why boaters can enter and return from Mexico at will, while the informal traditional crossings have been choked off.

Therefore, it is easiest for all concerned to just ignore the incongruity and pretend nothing is amiss. As I have noted before, the presence of commercial boating companies poses a layer of politics and enterprise that individual tourists wanting to cross for a taco do not have. The park reaps some level of income from commercial operating permits; they got nothing from anyone going to the villages. Shutting down the commercial permitting, which would then make it possible to ban private trips, would result in a level of political controversy the park doesn't want and would put the NPS in a very bad light in the local community since such would force elimination of jobs, not to mention eliminating whatever income the park derives from the permits.

So, because money talks (and apparently trumps national security), commercial companies continue to operate with no immigration/customs or park interference despite the constant railing that the borders must be fully secured. Because the commercial boater are given a pass, the private boaters get a free ride on their coattails...after all, how do you justify preventing a private trip on the basis of national security when an outfitter is launching in front of you?

The rest of us? We're just screwed, due to fear and bad policy. There is absolutely no logic to any of this and apparently no one in an official capacity has any concern about the inconsistency or feels a need to even try to explain or justify it. Governmental arrogance and inadequacy at its worst.

As I asked earlier, how about someone from the NPS explaining all this? I doubt they will. They've had a lot of opportunities for many years to do so and all they do is duck the issue....as when the Big Bend Gazette pressed them a few years ago.

[EdB]

The article cleverly avoids any discussion of the border closure

Perhaps because it's just an article about someone enjoying the experience of floating down the river. Some people get enjoyment from being outdoors, perhaps you've heard of them? 

[RichardM]

The article cleverly avoids any discussion of the border closure

Perhaps because it's just an article about someone enjoying the experience of floating down the river. Some people get enjoyment from being outdoors, perhaps you've heard of them? 

Here's one of the pages Presidio was quoting:

A good destination is Fern Canyon, a beautiful side canyon approximately two miles upstream, which has ferns growing where water is seeping out of the canyon walls. A backcountry use permit is required for all river trips; no fee is charged for day-use trips.

I must have missed the part where it encouraged hiking in Fern Canyon. Maybe Presidio was extrapolating since other NPS web pages talk about hiking.

I'm too lazy to dig around for the page talking about campsites while rafting. Maybe he'll be kind enough to provide links to his sources, assuming he can stomach reading the NPS pages again.

[EdB]

Here's one of the pages Presidio was quoting:

I was cleverly avoiding discussion of the border issue.  Just figured there's enough threads about that, might be more interesting to see a discussion about rafting and enjoying oneself. 

[cjacob]

Correct me if I am wrong.  But I thought a passport was now needed to do these trips since you had the chance of stepping ground on the float trip.  I also thought there was a customs form that was also required. 

No, that is not the case.

Presidio,

I think I am some what correct.  I am still looking for a passport requirement.  And you are REQUIRED to fill out a Custom's Declaration after your trip  if you have crossed in to Mexico to camp. 

"Access to the former put-in at La Linda, Mexico is blocked, and crossing to it is illegal, with severe punishment awaiting anybody caught crossing into Mexico, then re-entering the United States other than at legal points of entry at Presidio or Del Rio (temporarily crossing into Mexico to camp on the Mexican side while on a river trip is leagl as long as you complete and file a Customs Declaration after your trip.)"

We are planning a lower canyon trip for '09 and I am pretty sure on the passport but I will research it more.   

[cjacob]

Passports are required as of June '09

http://www.bigbendchat.com/portal/forum/big-bend-on-the-web/alone-with-the-wild-rio-grande-t6173.0.html

Better pack'em prior to headding west. 

[RichardM]

I contacted the DHS via their website back on August 12. Just got a response today:

Are passports currently required for participants on guided river raft trips on the Rio Grande (i.e. Big Bend)?

Please visit http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders/.

Sincerely,

DHS TRIP

P.S. Their email came to me from "RedressFinal, Trip". Had it not had a meaningful subject line, I would've assumed it was SPAM and never opened it.

[SHANEA]

OK,

Would you be so kind as to interpret that webpage for me?

Ferries and Small Boats
Ferries and small boats are processed much like land travel, and all individuals traveling by these modes of travel are subject to the new requirements.

which takes us to...

a road and mountains - LAND

Beginning January 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens 19 years and older who enter the U.S. at land and sea ports of entry from within the Western Hemisphere will need to present government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license as proof of identity, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate, or a passport. Children age 18 and under will be able to enter with proof of citizenship. Verbal claims of citizenship and identity alone will not be sufficient to establish identity and citizenship for entry into the United States.

Note: Children age 18 and under will need to present a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or a passport to enter the U.S.

Hey, let's make this as complicated as possible...

and if that wasn't enough...

THE U.S. PASSPORT CARD IS NOW IN PRODUCTION!

The passport card facilitates entry and expedites document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The card may not be used to travel by air.

So, by my "Paralawyer" definition (read Grisham's Rainmaker sometime)
no passport required if you bring your drivers license and birth-cert or naturalization papers
otherwise, have a passport or a passport card.

I mean, by simple definition - if you are boating the Rio Grande then you are crossing into Mexico - probably illegally since it is not a port of entry. Thus, you need to go to Presidio and start boating from there or go to Del Rio and go up stream from that point...

I think that the Rio Grande and the Boundary Waters are giving DHS/CBP fits...

[SHANEA]

OK, so I submitted another query of the DHS/CBP -

Hello, I am planning a 10-14 day trip in the Spring of 2009 down the lower portion of the Rio Grande from the La Linda Mexico/Stillwell Texas crossing down to Dryden TX.  There will be approx 4 canoes and 8 people on this trip.  All will be US Citizens.  Will passports and/or any additional documentation be required for this trip?  We will NOT be using an outfitter and will be shuttling our own vehicles.   I have searched the information on the DHS/CBP website and have not found sufficient information regarding this - as we will not be putting the canoes in or taking out at an official port of entry. 

Best Regards,

ShaneA