It's been called "The Port to Nowhere" and "a border crossing that virtually no one wants or needs." But farmers and business owners in Whitetail say that isn't entirely true, and losing the crossing would be devastating to their community.

Newschannel 5's Stephanie Tyrpak had the chance to meet with many of the locals in both Montana and Canada, and follow them as they use the small border crossing as part of their daily routine.

"I've come through that port at Whitetail and Big Beaver as many as 225 times a year, " said farmer Lee Cook, who works land on both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border. "Sometimes I come through two or three times a day, depending on what I have to do to cover the needs of the farm."

And for the long-time farmers like Lee Cook, news that the small Whitetail Port could be shutdown has been frustrating.

"I'm out of business without this port," said Cook. "I'm going to have to figure out something different to do with my land. I can't retire yet, I just put two kids through college, and I have two more to go. I need that land for my livelihood."

The Whitetail Port has been at the center of controversy since last year when it was announced that the crossing, which sees an average of five cars a day, would be receiving over $8 million in stimulus funds for a remodel.

But in August, Canada announced plans to close their side of the port in April, and now there are increasing calls to close the U.S. side as well.

"I feel as a rural community, we're so tired of losing our assets," said James Hanson, a Whitetail farmer. "And it just seems like one thing after the other. Whether it's an elevator, or a post office, now it's our border."

If they lose the Whitetail Port, farmers and business owners would have to travel to the Scobey and Plentywood ports to reach land that now sits directly along one two-lane state road.

"It's gonna mean an extra 30 miles of trip, at 100 loads, that's 3000 extra miles, that's $15,000 that are going to come off the top of my operation," said Cook.

Town hall meetings with state and national leaders have been held to discuss the future of the Whitetail Port in Havre and Scobey. But Whitetail residents are still waiting for a meeting in their own town, and an opportunity for farmers on both sides of border to show just how connected and viable the communities of Whitetail and Big Beaver truly are.

"There's other businesses up here, fertilizer businesses and things, that slip 100s of thousands of dollars worth of material through that border," said Cook. "It's maybe not so many crossings in numbers, but it amounts to millions of dollars worth of trade."

"It's part of our local community," said Canadian farmer Warren Volke, who lives near Big Beaver. "I actually consider Whitetail to be part of our community, I've had a P.O. box there since 1985. I've been using it in commercial purposes. I usually go down once or twice a week."

And with fears of a lack of security, loss of local business, and a deteriorating road used to transport grain, residents are digging in for a long fight to keep their crossing.

"We have a thriving community here, and its just one more nail in the coffin for us," said Hanson. "And if we could just get some backing, and for people to understand that there is people left here, and there is people using that border and I think its viable to keep it open."

"We're not large in numbers out here, but we're fairly large in spirit," said Cook. "We've survived a lot of stuff out here, same as our neighbors up in Canada...You might as well put me in the ground, that's what it's gonna take."