(Thursday, May 12, 2011)
Dunseith, North Dakota - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reminds U.S. citizens, traveling to the International Peace Garden from within the United States, they are not required to present a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document when exiting the park into the U.S.
U.S. citizens traveling south upon exit from the Peace Garden, who satisfactorily establish to a CBP officer that they entered the Peace Garden from the U.S., are not required to present a WHTI-compliant document.
While WHTI-compliant documents are not required of U.S. citizens visiting the Peace Garden, the approved-travel documents are highly recommended for all travelers, as they greatly facilitate inspection and reduce wait times at the border. WHTI-compliant documents include a valid passport, U.S. Passport Card, Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST) or an Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) available in the states of New York, Michigan, Washington, and Vermont and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.
All non-U.S. citizens departing south from the Peace Garden will be considered applicants for admission to the United States and will be required to present an approved travel document such as a valid passport, NEXUS/FAST Card, Enhanced Driver’s License or a U.S. Permanent Resident Card.
For more information, visit the WHTI website. ( www.getyouhome.gov )
Some additional steps travelers can employ for cross border travel are as follows. Plan your trip and allow extra time for crossing the border. Review the “Know Before You Go” tip sheet. ( Know Before You Go ) . Wait times for the ports of International Falls, Minnesota and Pembina, North Dakota can be monitored online.( Border Wait Times ) Avoid peak travel times when at all possible. The heaviest traffic periods are typically between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The International Peace Garden, located in both the U.S. and Canada, was established in 1932 and designed to symbolize friendship between the two countries. The gardens are located on the 49th Parallel, between the ports of Dunseith, North Dakota, and Boissevain, Manitoba. Reflecting pools and dazzling colorful floral displays of over 150,000 flowers splash across the grounds of the Formal Gardens and terraced walkways. The park is open year round but experiences the highest traffic volume in the summer. In past years, the International Peace Garden has received approximately 150,000 visitors annually.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
