# Passport applications at outdoor shows



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

It's the season for outdoors shows in GR 

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/grpress/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1136555113277470.xml&coll=6

Friday, January 06, 2006 By Howard Meyerson Press Outdoors Editor

If the winter blahs cause you to sit and dream of Canadian fly-in fishing trips and big game hunts, there likely is a new passport in your future. 

Your passport -- if you don't have one.

"By 2008, anyone who travels to Canada, Mexico, Panama, Bermuda and the Caribbean will be required to have one," said Joel Prunty with the All-Canada Show, which opens at DeltaPlex on Jan. 16 and is one of six outdoor shows opening in Grand Rapids over the next 10 weeks. 

"We knew there would be a consumer demand and they aren't so easy to get on your own, so we decided to bring them to the show." 

Bring the U.S. Postal Service, that is, to the annual Canadian-outfitter show, which highlights 50 fishing and hunting lodges and fly-in services from predominantly western provinces along with a slate of north-woods entertainment. 

Postal workers might seem out of place in the world of bush planes, walleye and Canadian beer, but don't let those blue outfits fool you. The U.S. Postal Service is the U.S. Department of State's authorized agent for accepting passport applications. 

USPS is reaching out to make the process more obvious and inviting to people, who otherwise might wait until the last minute to comply with law, known as the U.S. Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. 

"A Canadian tourism commission has research that shows that 46 percent of the people who travel to Canada would wait to the last minute to get one," Prunty said. "A State Department person has said that they expect to process 12 million passports in 2007. They do two million now and don't know if they can keep up." 

Prunty said 80 percent of the 2,000 people who attend his show will go to Canada this year. At the USPS booth, they will be able to have a passport photo shot for $15 and can apply for a passport costing $97.

"They'll only take checks, cash or money orders," said Prunty, who added that a passport is good for 10 years and a drivers license and birth certificate are required to get one. 

Joining the men and women in blue along with Canadian outfitters will be Norm McCreight who likes to fillet fish with an ax blade and does seminars on hunting big bear with a bow. 

Sam Hunter, a newcomer to the Grand Rapids show, is a Native American Cree who grew up on Hudson Bay in Polar Bear Provincial Park. His father was the superintendent there. Hunter gives demonstrations on making authentic native arrows.

But if a strictly Canadian experience isn't enough or you dream of sun-dappled days on the big lake or relaxing in sun-kissed scenery under the awning of your motorhome, then there are other shows to choose from. 

Here's a quick look at them: 

RVs, RVs, RVs: Ten Grand Rapids recreational vehicle dealers are displaying their campers, trailers and motorhomes at DeltaPlex this week. The show runs through Sunday. This is the third and newest show in their lineup, which includes their spring kickoff show at DeltaPlex from Feb. 23-26 and its get-ready-for-Florida show at Whitecaps Stadium in the fall. 

"We've never advertised a show as nothing but a sale, but this one is that," said Ken Kruh, a show organizer and the owner of Al's Trailer Mart in Grand Rapids. 

Dealers will offer $5,000 pop-up campers and motorhomes costing nearly $500,000. With factory incentives being offered to dealers, Kruh said buyers can save anywhere from $1,500 to $20,000 off the retail price of various models. 

Huntin' Time: Hunters and gun lovers are sure to find a way to kick the winter blahs at the Gander Mountain Huntin' Time Expo, scheduled for Jan. 27-29 at DeltaPlex. 

Show producer Tom Antor moved the 16-year-old show to an earlier slot this year. It long has been produced in mid-February, but Antor said he hopes to make it easier for exhibitors who also display at his Huntin' Time Expo (east) at Birch Run during the first week in February.

Huntin' Time West in Grand Rapid promises to have 350 booths and hunting seminars, whole-wall displays of massive deer antlers and a brand-new feature this year sure to appeal to gun lovers. 

"We're going to have a big gun auction on Sunday," said Antor. "Rifles and shotguns; there's always a lot of interest." 

Boats galore: Water enthusiasts will have five days to dream about fun in the sun when the 61st annual Grand Rapids Boat Show opens in Grand Rapids on Feb. 15.

This is the boat show for West Michigan, produced by Showspan Inc. in Grand Rapids. It is predominantly a show for powerboat lovers, with a smattering of sail. It also offers a new colorful dimension: a large, classic-and-antique boat display returning to the show for a second year. 

It is also a grand show held in the spectacular DeVos Place. More than 300 boats, ranging from runabouts and ski boats to large live-aboard cruisers, will be on display. Pontoons are prevalent. So are the latest in personal watercraft. 

Ultimately the biggest: The 61st annual Ultimate Sport and RV show may be the last of the season, but it's hardly the least. It is the oldest and largest sport show held in West Michigan. And while it has had various names over the years, it's always produced by Showspan and it never fails to please an audience that can be 30,000-plus strong. 

"This year we will have an indoor lake that is 90 feet long and 42 feet wide, that takes 14 milk tanker trucks to fill," said Tom Huggler the publicist for the show. "There is nothing like this in the nation. We'll be holding fishing seminars on it from drift boats and walleye boats along with fishing from kayaks." 

The show, which opens at DeVos Place on March 16, promises its usual mix of more than 300 fishing-tackle vendors, outfitters, guides and lodges along with travel destinations, RV dealers and area conservation clubs. It is a four-day funfest full of educational seminars and entertainment. 

In 2004, the show added a large wildlife-art component that complimented its fishing lure collectors and taxidermy competitions. Wildlife art, Huggler said, will be returning to the show.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Travelers to Canada will need a new PASS in '08
Mich. officials object, urge feds to allow the use of enhanced driver's licenses at borders.

WASHINGTON -- Commuters between Detroit and Canada will have the option of using a new passport card the size of a driver's license and costing about $50 under a plan unveiled Tuesday by the Bush administration.

The PASS card, which could be made available late this year, would allow U.S. citizens to travel to Canada and Mexico without a far more expensive traditional passport. Currently, U.S. citizens can use a birth certificate or driver's license to return to the United States, but that will no longer be allowed beginning in 2008 under new laws requiring more secure documentation for travelers.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060118/METRO/601180358/1016


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## frenchriver1 (Jul 5, 2005)

Hamilton Reef said:


> a new passport card the size of a driver's license and costing about $50 under a plan unveiled Tuesday by the Bush administration.
> 
> The PASS card, which could be made available late this year, would allow U.S. citizens to travel to Canada and Mexico without a far more expensive traditional passport.
> 
> http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060118/METRO/601180358/1016


From what I caught in a public radio piece on this new card, it will have imbedded electronic coding which can be read to ensure that it is valid and not a fake, and it will somehow be able to tie the card to the true user, and not someone else who steals the card to use it. Sounds like the inroad to the universal ID card that has been the subject of other threads. Not having a passport myself yet it seems that it would be easier to fake a paper document than some kind of eletronic card with a chip/barcode imbedded in it...

And MI is trying to come up with its own ID Card to be used to facilitate crossing the border, right?

Sounds like a Medicare Part D type debacle is starting up right here with these different types of "official IDs..." We have three contenders, do I hear four, five?


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

I just got my passport back in October and it wasn't a hastle at all.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Need a passport? Sign-up service can come to you 03-08-06

Making a trip across the Ambassador Bridge to Canada will be a bit more difficult by the end of the year, when passports will be required for the border crossing.

But Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson started a pilot program Tuesday that could make getting a passport easier.

The Passport to Go program will send staff members from the clerk's office to businesses that might have a high number of employees who need passports.

"We want to make sure it is cost-effective and something businesses will want and use before the project is expanded," Johnson said.

Her first stop was the Palace of Auburn Hills, where she and her staff helped photograph and sign up 12 people, including members of the Detroit Pistons.

The fee to process passport applications is $40, or $30 if the customer provides photographs, which are required. There is also a $67 fee that goes to the federal government. Passport service is still offered at the clerk's office, 1200 N. Telegraph in Pontiac.

For a complete set of passport requirements, visit the State Department's travel Web site, www.travel.state.gov.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Border IDs will hurt economy, poll shows
Passport requirement tied to $2 billion in business losses

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060315/1047775.asp

By DOUGLAS TURNER News Washington Bureau Chief 3/15/2006

WASHINGTON - Requiring passports at the Canadian border will cost at least $2 billion in lost business on both sides of the border, a Zogby survey shows. 
The poll shows a third of Americans and Canadians would be less likely to cross the northern border to shop, attend sporting events or go to resorts if they had to buy a passport or something like it. 

This would cost U.S. businesses nearly $800 million a year and Canadian businesses, $1.7 billion. 

The survey showed that potential land travelers know little about President Bush's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which requires passport-like documents to enter or return to the United States by January 2008. 

In mid-February, Zogby International conducted a telephone survey of 1,213 likely voters in 11 U.S. border states, and 502 randomly selected Canadians. 

The study showed vacationing is the main reason for half of the cross-border visits by Canadian and U.S. residents, with shopping, entertainment and seeing family and friends topping the rest of the list. 

Both nationalities spend between $100 and $500 on each trip, with Canadians usually the bigger spenders. 

But about 87 percent of U.S. residents said they are unfamiliar with the proposed federal requirements; 82 percent of Canadians said the same thing, indicating there may be a lot of surprised tourists when the new mandate is imposed. 

"I'm not surprised at all by the Zogby poll," said Howard Zemsky of Buffalo, a venture capitalist with investments in nearby Ontario. Zemsky called the passport plan "absurd." 

"The fact that people won't apply for and pay for a single-purpose card is not surprising," Zemsky said.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

I spent Friday at the GR Sports Show and the passport table was there. The lady stated we will be forced to conform to the passport regulations even to fish Lake St Clair for a day.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

'Day pass' to Canada in works
Senators push for an ID that would let U.S. travelers cross the border for free instead of getting a passport.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060406/POLITICS/604060358/1003/METRO

WASHINGTON -- Moving to make life easier and cheaper for Americans visiting Canada, a group of senators is asking the federal government create a free "day pass" that would allow U.S. citizens to re-enter the country without first getting an expensive passport.

The legislation offered by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and supported by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is in response to a decision last year by the State and Homeland Security departments that would deny U.S. citizens the ability to re-enter the country without a passport after Dec. 31, 2007.

Critics called the move expensive and punitive to those who routinely cross the border. The average cost of a passport, they said, is $97.

Under the department's plan, passports are needed beginning Jan. 1, 2007, for all residents returning by air or sea and by Jan. 1, 2008, for all residents crossing at land borders.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said officials recognize the concern and are working on developing a pass card that would cost about $50.

The bill would create a day pass that travelers can obtain at no cost allowing them to visit Canada for 24 hours or less. The bill also provides that children under 18 could re-enter the country without a passport or other document as long as a parent or guardian accompanies them.

It also calls for development of a more permanent "travel card" that people who cross the border frequently can use and buy for about $20.


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## walranger5 (May 1, 2005)

We Will Be Having A Goby Killing Ting June 10th Weigh In Fishermans Landing 1 Pm 10 Bucks Per Team Entry 500 Team Cutoff
Free Fishing Weekend No License Needed 100% Payout We Will Try To Pay Same As Last Year Full Field Will Pay More $1000 Most Pounds Goby Dick $500 Goby Dink $50 $100 For 2nd On Down
Tell All Your Friends And Neighbors Flyers At Bait Shops
Tom Matych


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Help Michigan-Ontario tourism by changing U.S. passport rule

There are two ways for the passport mistake to be rectified before it goes into effect at land crossings on Jan. 1, 2008. The Bush administration can be convinced to change its interpretation of the existing law -- or the Congress can be persuaded to change the passport requirement.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060523/OPINION01/605230364/1008


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Passport to be required for offshore fishing

http://www.al.com/newsflash/regiona...25/1164203650147320.xml&storylist=alabamanews

11/22/2006 

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP)  Travelers returning from abroad aren't the only people who will need to be carrying passports beginning January eighth.

Deep-sea fishermen who go more than 60 miles into the Gulf of Mexico will need them, too.

Postal Service employee James Coleman says that last month, he issued about 40 passports a day. The previous month, he had issued 40 passports over the whole month.

It's all part of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.

Colemany says the biggest hitch has been people who don't realize they need a birth certificate with an official government stamp.

All members of a family will be required to have a passport  including infants.

For more information on the necessary documentation, visit http://www-dot-usps-dot-com.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

GRAPHIC: Cutting through passport red tape http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070303/NEWS05/70303001

Passport seekers pour in
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070303/NEWS05/703030358

How to get the documents you need
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070303/NEWS05/703030359


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

Maybe the Sec of State can go there and find out how to issue Concealed Pistol licenses.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Security gets even tighter on border with Canada
Travelers find more checks on land, water

As of Jan. 31, Americans will be required to carry a passport or similar document to return from Canada, a requirement formerly reserved for overseas travelers. Customs officials plan to phase in the requirement until the public becomes more aware, but it's expected to increase the time it takes to cross the borders.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070911/NEWS05/709110343


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