Author: Mike Long; Published: Aug 28, 2010; Category: Big Bend Info, Current Events, Rio Grande Info; Tags: Big Bend Info, Canoeing, passport, Rafting, Rules & Regulations; 3 Comments
Ok, here is the latest update on Passport Requirements for going on river trips on the Rio Grande in the Big Bend area of Texas. We are in receipt of a letter from the National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, that relates policy changes for River Usage on the Rio Grande along the Texas/Mexico border. These statements reflect changes in the enforcement of existing regulations by US Customs and Border Patrol.
The following are direct quotes from the letter we received from Big Bend National Park:
“First, a U.S. Passport is not required to use the river in Big Bend National Park or the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River. Additionally, a U.S. Customs declaration form is no longer required for river trips.
Second, visitors and river outfitters may not use the Mexican bank of the river, as international border crossing is only legal at a Port of Entry. Visitors may not hike into Mexico or the side canyons of Mexico. Visitors additionally may not plan a trip to camp in Mexico or on the Mexican shore. The exception is in cases of emergency: visitors may land on the Mexican side of the river to scout rapids, to bail out a boat, to repack gear, and for other safety reasons.”
These policy changes were presented to us in a letter dated August 20, 2010.
If you have questions on how this new interpretation of the regulations will affect Desert Sports river trips, give us a shout (either email or give us a call). While these changes will have an effect on some of our camps and hikes, we are still able to visit the fantastic canyons of the Rio Grande. Stay tuned for more updates.
If you have questions on the new enforcement of these regulations and how they affect the current NPS policy changes we suggest contacting the following folks:
Bill Wellman, BBNP Superintendent; bill_wellman@nps.gov
David Elkowitz, BBNP Chief of Interpretation, david_elkowitz@nps.gov
Bill Brooks, Customs and Border Patrol, Marfa Sector, william.brooks@dhs.gov
Author: Mike Long; Published: Jul 24, 2010; Category: Rio Grande Info; Tags: passport, Rules & Regulations; No Comments
As anyone that has run this reach of the Rio Grande knows, it is basically impossible to do a river trip in the Big Bend and not end up on the Mexican side of the river. This can happen as a part of your river trip plan, some of the best camps and hikes are on the Mexico side of the river. Or by plain accident, you dump your canoe and the only safe place to land is on river right (Mexico). The International Boundary is officially the center line of the Main Channel and, especially at the lower water levels we have been seeing, you will have at least a part of your boat in Mexico repeatedly during the course of your trip.
There have been several different policy statements made to try and address the issues. At present, the good folks at the Marfa Sector of US Customs and Border Patrol are trying to work with river runners to come up with a solution that allows them to keep doing their job and allows us to keep doing quality river trips. There was even a small contingent of Border Patrol folks on the last “Down River Seminar”, hosted by BBNP, and they got a chance to see first hand what goes on during a river trip.
What we are doing now? As per our instructions as to what is an acceptable method to deal with this situation, we are submitting a Customs Form with a manifest for each of our trips. This form is submitted to US Customs and, so far, allows us to keep doing river trips as we have in the past. At present, US citizens are not required to have a passport number for the form. If you have a passport, go ahead and bring it with you and we’ll use the number on the form, it makes their job easier. If you are not a US citizen, you will need your passport number to submit on the form (you will want to have your passport while traveling in Border regions).
That is the accepted solution at present. Stay tuned for future changes. It is possible that we could see an increase in regulation and enforcement that could result in what would basically be a closure of the river. We, being citizens of the United States, could lose access to what should be thought of as one of our National Treasures.
It would be nice if some of these lawmakers could come down and do a river trip with us, just to see what it is that they are regulating.
Author: Mike Long; Published: Jul 24, 2010; Category: Big Bend Info, Rio Grande Info; Tags: Rules & Regulations; No Comments
If you are coming to the Big Bend and intend to get on the Rio Grande, it is a great idea to familiarize yourself with the Rules and Regulations that apply to this reach of the river. Big Bend National Park has posted these on their website. Most of these R&R’s are in place to help protect the resource or to help insure that you have the right equipment along to have a safe trip down the river. Other rules are in place to aid in the management of this fine part of the backcountry.
For those of you that are planning on taking part in a guided tour with Desert Sports, we’ll take care of all the details; from getting the proper permit to making sure we have all the right equipment to abide by these rules. Desert Sports, as an outfitter is required to follow all these R&R’s as well as a handful of other requirements specific to commercial operations. We take pride in working with the National and State Parks to protect this wonderful resource and to enhance the experience that our visitors have while on tours.
Forms & Permits
If you are planning on doing the trip on your own, what we call a Self-Guided Trip, it would be a good idea to get to know all these R&R’s. Even if you have been coming to the Big Bend for river trips for a while and have a good knowledge of these, it is worth noting that there have been a couple of recent changes that can affect your trip. One thing that has been going on for a couple of years now is that multi-day trips require a $10 fee for your Trip Permit, day trips are still free. There is also the requirement for submitting a Customs Form for each trip, as we have been doing for the last few years.
Waste
There are a couple of rule changes that are new and have recently been added to the River use R&R: Every overnight river trip is required to have some sort of Toilet System. One canoe or kayak only trips are no longer exempt from this requirement. You can use one of the approved chemical bagged waste containment systems or a dumpstation compatible waste containment system. Desert Sports has the bagged system for sale (recommended for most small trips) and we also rent a small dumpable system. Every overnight river trip is now required to carry some sort of Firepan, even if you do not intend to have a campfire. No diameter is specified but it does have to have sides at least 2” high to conform to the requirement. You can only burn dead and downed wood or charcoal and you are required to carry out all floatable debris. It is worth looking at these changes on the page linked to above, just so you can see it for yourself in the words they use.
Firearms
One other item worth noting, with the changes in legalities in carrying Firearms in the park, is referred to in the River use R&R. The use or discharge of firearms is prohibited within the park. It is also worth noting that possession of firearms or ammunition in Mexico is a felony and this includes the Mexican side of the river. Because of this, Desert Sports does not allow any firearms on any of our guided trips. You cannot do a river trip without at least getting into Mexican waters, even if you never touch the Mexican shore. I tell people that if you feel like you need a gun for protection on your vacation that perhaps you should be going somewhere different. In over 20 years of guiding I have never felt that a gun would make the situation better and see no reason to carry one on trips.
These are all the new changes that we have noted. Even if you are a veteran of the Rio Grande, it is worth reviewing the River use Rules and Regulation from time to time just to stay current and make sure there are no surprises when you arrive for your trip and find out there are new requirements to get your permit. We keep ourselves in the loop with the folks at the park and will continue to pass along any further changes.
