A proposal to require a passport to cross the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico threatened to dampen trade and tourism and, worse, could lead to a false sense of security. So, it is encouraging that the Department of State recently said it was looking at other, less expensive, forms of identification to serve the same purpose. A card for border-crossers holds promise.

As soon as the State Department announced plans to require passports to enter the United States from Canada and Mexico by 2008, the state’s senators raised concerns that this would unnecessarily hinder travel and trade between Maine and the Canadian provinces, where residents frequently cross the border to attend church, buy groceries or visit family. Canadian Ambassador Frank McKenna estimated decreased tourist traffic would cost $2 billion a year.

Equally troubling, requiring passports to cross the border from Canada and Mexico would leave the impression that a big step had been taken to combat terrorism, when in fact this, along with requiring airline passengers to remove their shoes during screening, accomplishes little on that front. Aside from the highly publicized millennium plot suspect, few terrorists try to come into the United States from Canada or Mexico. All of the Sept. 11 hijackers were in the United States legally. None used Canada or Mexico as a gateway to the United States. Tighter border restrictions could drive terrorists determined to enter the United States to do so in the vast unmanned woods along the U.S.-Canada border.

There are already automated identification systems in place for truckers who frequently cross the border. They appear to strike a balance between ease of travel and security. The same balance must be struck for infrequent travelers as well as residents near the border who may cross back and forth several times a week. Requiring a passport, which costs $97 for adults and $82 for children under 16, for these trips would place a financial burden on people who present no security risk.

In a letter to Sen. Olympia Snowe, the State Department acknowledged the financial concerns and said it was looking at many alternatives to passports. Most promising for northern Maine residents, the department is developing a card that would document citizenship and nationality. It would be used to cross land borders with Canada and Mexico and could cost less – it does not say how much less – than the current book-form passport.

Realizing that requiring a passport is not the only solution is a good first step. Developing an alternative that addresses security and economic concerns in the next two years would complete the task.