Baja Safari NOW Archives

Baja Safari Membership Alert June 20, 2007

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced today the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a core 9/11 Commission recommendation. Proposed rules require a passport or other secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States.

“Secure documents are a national imperative that will prevent dangerous people from entering our country using fraudulent identification,” said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff. “This initiative fixes a vulnerability first identified by the 9/11 Commission and later addressed by Congress. It will enhance our ability to assess threats and confirm identity at ports of entry, while continuing to facilitate lawful travel and commerce.”

As the first rational step as we move towards full WHTI implementation, DHS intends to end the routine practice of accepting oral declarations alone at land and sea ports of entry. On Jan. 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a WHTI-compliant document or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. DHS also proposes to begin alternative procedures for U.S. and Canadian children at that time.

At a later date to be determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security in consultation with the Secretary of State, the departments will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The implementation date will be determined based on a number of factors, including the progress of actions undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security to implement the WHTI requirements and the availability of WHTI compliant documents on both sides of the border. DHS and DOS expect the date of full WHTI implementation to be in the summer of 2008. The precise implementation date will be formally announced with at least 60 days notice.

The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have either a U.S. passport; a U.S. passport card; a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI; a valid Border Crossing Card; a valid Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or a valid U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders. The NPRM also outlines ongoing efforts to provide other alternative documents.

The departments have also identified unique circumstances for specific groups of travelers that warrant permitting the use of alternative documents.

• U.S. citizens on round trip cruise ship voyages that originate and end in the United States may present a government-issued photo ID and birth certificates, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad or Certificates of Naturalization.
• U.S. and Canadian citizen children under 16 as well as children ages 18 and under traveling in designated groups may present certified copies of their birth certificates. U.S. children may also present Consular Reports of Birth Abroad or Certificates of Naturalization.

The NPRM follows an Advance Notice of Public Rulemaking (ANPRM) for land and sea published in the Federal Register on Sept. 1, 2005, and a final rule for the Air Phase of WHTI that was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 24, 2006. WHTI requirements were implemented for all air travel on Jan. 23, 2007, and have shown compliance rates in excess of 99 percent since implementation.

DHS and DOS recently announced that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through Sept. 30, 2007. The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand. (Previous Baja Safari Membership Alerts)

SUMMER gets even BIGGER On Saturday, July 7, 2007, the Baja Safari Mexico Club will host another offroad blowout! The Club will host and lead its Members on another Baja Off-Road Safari into the wilds of Baja, Mexico. Our July MARLBORO event will run over uncrossed trails and explore the Tierra de Sol, the largest mesalands of the magic peninsula, we’ll discover Baja and go wide open like no other. Several of the small hamlets we’ll see never have visitors. They are ancient native American communities that still have many of the ancient trade and skills of their forefathers. We’ll travel over 200 kilometers and wrap the event deep in the Sierra de La Rumorosas. FREE for Members! Sign up at safariclub@cox.net

Baja Safari Mexico Club Alert

UPDATED!  SEE THE OFFICIAL CONSULAR REPORT HERE 

Feds temporarily waive travel rules to ease passport crunch.

The Bush administration today temporarily waived some of its new, post-Sept. 11 requirements for flying abroad, hoping to help irate summer travelers whose trips have been jeopardized by delays in processing their passports.

The change would aid those fliers awaiting a U.S. passport to meet the new rule requiring one for travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. But it won’t clear the way for travelers who haven’t already applied for a passport. There is still no passport required for Americans driving across the Canadian or Mexican borders or taking sea cruises, although those travelers are expected to need passports under new rules beginning next year.

Easing the rules should allow the State Department to catch up with a massive surge in applications that has overwhelmed passport processing centers since the rule took effect this year, officials said. The resulting backlog has caused up to three-month delays for passports and ruined or delayed the travel plans of thousands of travelers. Until the end of September, travelers will be allowed to fly without a passport if they present a State Department receipt, showing they had applied for a passport, and government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license.

Travelers showing only receipts would receive additional security scrutiny, which could include extra questioning or bag checks. DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said the easing of the passport rule would only affect those who have already applied for passports - not those who apply in coming days for travel later this summer. “Individuals who have not yet applied for a passport should not expect to be accommodated,” Knocke said. Lawmakers were critical. “This is further evidence that the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department are simply not ready to make this program work as well as it must,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

The application surge is the result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative that since January has required U.S. citizens to use passports when entering the United States from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean by air. It is part of a broader package of immigration rules enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In a briefing this morning, Maura Harty, the assistant secretary for consular affairs, acknowledged that the State Department did not expect the flood of applications. “What we did not anticipate adequately enough was the American citizens’ willingness and desire to comply with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative in the timeframe that they did,” Harty said. Harty said the department had hired 145 people last month to work on the backlog and would hire 400 more people this quarter.

Last year, the agency processed 12.1 million passports. This year, officials expect to process about 18 million, she said. The department received 1 million applications in December, 1.8 million January and 1.7 million in February. Turnaround times for passports were bumped up from six to 10-12 weeks after the surge, Harty said. But 500,000 applications have already taken longer, she said. Carrying out the new rules while trying to process existing applications has been akin to “changing out the aircraft engine in flight,” she said. Still, the agency expects to eliminate the backlog and meet the new standard of 10-12 weeks before the end of September, she said.

Today’s’s change would help those like Judy and Darrell Green, of Rifle, Colo., who are still waiting to hear whether their son-in-law’s passport will arrive in time for a a family vacation to Mexico to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary and Darrell’s 60th birthday. Darrell Green’s passport arrived Thursday, only after Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., helped expedite it. Their son-in-law expects to get his Today with the help of his congresswoman. “It makes you feel kind of frantic because you’ve spent all that money,” Judy Green said. “It seems like this happens a lot in government. I don’t think it’s a bad law.

“DHS’s decision to suspend is simply common sense, and frankly, should have been made months ago,” Coleman said. This summer also may not spell the end of the passport crunch. Homeland Security has insisted it plans to go ahead with a January 2008 start for requiring passports at all land border crossing in the United States - a security measure that could trigger a new frenzy of applications. The State Department is still working on creating a cheaper, passcard alternative for such land crossings. Congress has given the State Department the flexibility to wait until June 1, 2009, to carry out the land and sea passport requirements. Today, he strongly urged the department to take them up on it. “They continue to insist on the January deadline,” Voinovich said of the administration.

Baja Safari NOW Editor

 

Earlier Alert 

U.S. may postpone passport protocol

Posted: 2007-06-08 01:16:44 MST

WASHINGTON — The U.S. is poised to suspend a major post-Sept. 11 security initiative to cope with angry complaints from Americans whose summer vacations are threatened by new passport rules.

A proposal set to be announced as early as today will temporarily waive a requirement that U.S. passports be used for air travel to and from Canada and Mexico, provided the traveller can prove he or she has already applied for a passport, officials said yesterday.

The suspension in the rules is aimed at clearing a massive backlog of passport applications at the State Department that has slowed processing to a crawl, they said. Some officials said the change would last several months; others said as long as six months.

The proposal applies only to Americans, a U.S. official said. Canadian air travellers entering the U.S. will still need passports.

But it would be a balm to the Canadian tourism industry and others who rely on a steady stream of American visitors and are already losing money due to confusion about the new security rules.

The plan had run into opposition from the Homeland Security Department, which controls U.S. border points and fears the move could make it easier for terrorists or other undesirables to enter the country.

Instead of a passport, travellers will now be able to present a State Department receipt showing their passport application is being processed, and a government-issued ID such as a driver’s licence.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, because the matter is still the subject of internal debate and details are not finalized.

But three of the officials said an announcement of the move could come as early as today.

Baja Safari is now offering complete travel packages to Baja Mexico for wonderful family experiences in the land of big cactus and big nature!

Here is the Baja Experience for the entire family, courtesy the LA Times: 

“”Baja, MEXICO —

Ronda Olds steps out of the pool, welling with emotion. And who wouldn’t be after swimming with a dolphin that nudges you, kisses you and even dances across the water with you? “Honestly, I couldn’t help but be moved,” says the wife and mother of two, visiting from Kamloops, Canada. “Today’s my birthday and, emotionally, I just feel overwhelmed.” And that was before she’d learned that her swimming partner, a Pacific bottlenose dolphin, was one of five reportedly caught by Japanese fishermen and originally earmarked for human consumption.

“We had to rescue them by buying them,” says Alex Garcia, a caretaker for Baja Dolphins, the sprawling new complex on the western edge of the marina. Olds also had not known that some of the older dolphins in the vast outdoor pool were ensnared locally by different groups before it became illegal in Mexico to remove dolphins from the wild. They also were rescued, from smaller dolphin centers, and before coming here were part of a therapy program for children with autism. They soothed the children with sonar and, of course, gentle nudges. Now, there are 10 dolphins at this resort city’s newest and most popular attraction, working their magic on everyday tourists and seemingly making the most of a life within boundaries.

They clearly enjoy the company of one another and, apparently, that of the many people they meet each morning and afternoon. “I kinda want one now,” confesses Madison Olds, 8, while drying off beside her mother. “They make me feel, like, a great joy in my heart.” The Baja Dolphins facility was built in 2005 by renowned architect Enrique Norten. Since opening last February, it has lured tourists young and old, rich and famous. Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf were recent visitors. Eva Longoria and Tony Parker were here during the summer, and a gossip magazine reported that the basketball player was visibly jealous of the attention given the actress by her slick new friend. But such jealousy is for naught.

Although the dolphins are friendly, it’s most likely because of the tasty fish they’re given by trainers throughout the 30-minute programs, which cost $195 per tourist. Indeed, these dolphins, like those in the wild, have their own social structure and issues, much like humans.

Frida, for example, has taken a serious liking to Renoir, and sometimes finds it hard to concentrate on her job. On a recent morning, she was introduced to six tourists and gave them the usual swim-by, letting them pet her back and belly. But she kept peering over her shoulder and finally bolted for the other side of the pool, to be near her boyfriend. The 4-year-old dolphin started behaving that way only recently, after the older dolphins, some in their 20s, had arrived and disrupted the hierarchy. Frida had enjoyed alpha-female status and now, trainer Serena Evans says, “She gets very nervous when she doesn’t have her other [young] dolphins with her — especially her boyfriend.”

Thankfully, Ende, another young female who with Frida was among those captured by Japanese fishermen, swam forth and saved the day by giving rides, pecking cheeks and dancing with swimmers as though in a grand ballroom. She then rolled over and let them rub her belly as Evans talked about behavior and anatomy, and the harmful effects of pollution and certain fishing practices. “I enjoyed the whole experience because it gives you insight as to what they’re like and how delicate they are,” said Lindsey Kohn, a visitor from Cleveland, who had swum with captive dolphins once before, at a small enclosure in the Caribbean.

“Here you have interaction, instead of just swimming back and forth with them a few times.” Lillian Fleisher is crying, then smiling, then crying again. Being only 5, she isn’t sure what to make of her situation. She can’t swim but is treading water, snug in a life vest, with a 350-pound mammal circling like a shark. Dolphins can sense the slightest nervousness, and Frida, having apparently put Renoir briefly out of her mind, seems intent on assuring Lillian that she wants to be friends.

The child looks to her family and, one by one, they encourage her by example. Emma Fleisher, 8, receives a ride on Frida’s back and tells her brother how much fun it is. Charlie Fleisher, 7, follows suit. Mom Melissa receives a kiss on the lips and tells her curious daughter how special it was. David, the dad, swims with Lillian to the deep end and Frida offers her dorsal fin, but riding this mysterious beast is out of the question. Finally, though, trepidation is replaced by triumph. A broad smile sweeps across the child’s face as she is greeted by the determined dolphin, grabs hold of her pectoral fins and goes dancing across the pool like the belle of the ball. If anyone is jealous now, it’s Renoir.”"

Contact the Baja Safari Mexico Club at safariclub@cox.net for complete details on packages from San Diego, on this cool Baja Dolphins Safari for the whole family!

Sylvia, Author 

 

Baja Weather Service Report:

Over the past few weeks, coastal clouds and thick fogs have covered major portions of Northern Baja Mexico. This trend is common in Northwest Mexico during May and June. So common, that many plants and animals in the region receive major amounts of moisture-water from this weather fact.

For travel, at times the coastal weather of Baja Mexico confounds those seeking the warmth of Mexico. The water temperatures of the coastal Pacific, south of San Diego are cool all the way to mid-Baja, year round. Air temperatures in the same region don’t warm until mid-July.

In fact, up until August, air and sea-surface water temperatures off of San Diego are often warmer than that of Baja Mexico, all the way down to Scorpion Bay!

Archive this link WEATHER IMAGE this image shows an enhanced infrared picture of the Baja peninsula, which shows you an updated view of the coastal fogs and dense clouds that cause rainfall. Use it to track trends and prepare for your next travel trip! 

EXCLUSIVE for Baja Safari Members!

The Petersen Automotive Museum hosted the “1000 Miles to Glory” tribute evening on Sept. 6, 2000 in Los Angeles. The night featured guest appearances by some of the greatest names in off-road racing, along with some of the most famous cars, trucks, motorcycles and buggies.

Parnelli Jones, Drino Miller, Bruce Meyers, Vic Hickey, Don Adams, Ak Miller, Walker Evans and Ivan Stewart were just a few of the 35-plus racing heroes to take the stage that night. Hosted by sports personality, Jack Arute, the evening was a visual time capsule of the Baja race phenomenon. Video displays showed the contrast of Baja’s early years to the high-horsepower, almost aircraft-quality trucks that dominate today.

The night was not only a trip down a very dusty memory lane, but also a preview of what will be the longest race in modern North American off-road history, the Baja 2000, scheduled then for Nov. 10 to 17, 2000. Designed to mark the millenium, the Baja 2000 will indeed run almost 2000 miles, from Ensenada up north to Cabo San Lucas at the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.Racers are expected to take 40 to 80 hours to complete the race. The evening culminated in an informal auction of historic Baja race memorabilia, along with the Grand Prize auction item: a ride in the Baja 2000 in one of Wide Open Adventure’s “Ultimate Baja Challenge” vehicles.

A new book, called 1000 Miles to Glory, was also announced. Off road guru, Marty Fiolka announced his coffee table book will be available in spring 2001 and feature much of the colorful history of Baja’s past and present. Offroad fanatics will enjoy this rare look behind the scenes of the offroad community and modern history of desert racing. The DVD is free for new Baja Safari Members who request the event DVD. Offer ends June 29, 2007.

After the offer, it is available through the club at $50 US.