Border Crossings Might Be More Difficult Any Day Now

WATERTOWN - Travelers can still cross the U.S.-Canadian border with a birth certificate and a driver's license as proof of citizenship, but that could end any time, according to Alan F. Whitcomb, area port director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"Right now we are accepting birth certificates and a form of government ID with a photograph, but I cannot guarantee we will tomorrow," said Mr. Whitcomb, who spoke to a crowd of business owners, area chamber of commerce representatives and others Wednesday morning at a Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce event held at the Best Western Carriage House Inn, Watertown.

Mr. Whitcomb urged people to get a NEXUS card or some other Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant travel document - such as a passport, enhanced driver's license, SENTRI and FAST (Free and Secure Trade) cards - to avoid the potential hassles.

In December, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency and the Canada Border Services Agency opened a new NEXUS enrollment center at the Hill Island Tourist Center, 662 King's Highway 137, Hill Island. The processing fee for the five-year membership is $50.

NEXUS applicants must undergo background checks and submit to face-to-face interviews with U.S. and Canadian authorities at the enrollment center, where they are fingerprinted and photographed.

Dedicated lanes for NEXUS participants at the Thousand Islands border are only open from 6 to 8 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday but cardholders may also use other lanes when entering the U.S. or Canada.

Matthew J. Roggow, patrol agent in charge of the Wellesley Island Border Patrol station, who also spoke at the presentation Wednesday, said compared to the country's southwest border, a relatively small number of staff is spread across a larger area along the northern border.

There are fewer smuggling and terrorist activities taking place along the northern border, but that does not mean the area is completely secure, he said.

"The northern border may be more vulnerable to terrorist infiltration," he said. "The Islands and foliage on the river provides a lot of concealment and cover for smuggling."

Mr. Roggow said the CBP has been increasing staff at the northern border and implementing new technology over the past several years to enhance security while expediting crossings.

The Thousand Islands crossing is equipped with radio-chip readers that allow border control personnel to access government records of travelers carrying trusted-traveler cards even before a vehicle reaches the inspection booth.

Mr. Whitcomb, who is retiring at the end of the month after working for the federal government since 1990, said the use of WHTI-compliant documents with RFID technology greatly simplifies a customs officer's job by eliminating the need to confirm the validity of more than 2,000 different forms of identification used across the state.

Mr. Whitcomb said the CBP is improving its infrastructure to ensure a smooth flow of traffic at the Wellesley Island border station.

Recently, two additional lanes were added to the existing two-lane roadway that directs traffic into CBP check-in stations at the Wellesley Island border.

Also, the U.S. General Services Administration plans to construct 119,500 square feet of new buildings and facilities to provide more room for agencies that are stationed at the Thousand Islands crossing and build additional inspection lanes and secondary commercial dock bays to reduce border delays.

The GSA aims to break ground on the project in 2012 and complete it in 2015, if funding is included in the 2012 federal budget.

Wednesday's border security presentation was part of the chamber's 2010 Speaker Series, sponsored by Slack Chemical Co. and the Watertown Daily Times.