[1] Its responsibilities also include maintaining boundary monuments and buoys, keeping the border vista on each side clear of brush and vegetation within three meters (about 10 feet) from the boundary, overseeing any applications for permission to build within the vista, and reporting annually to the governments of both countries.

The International Boundary Commission is led by two commissioners, one from the United States and one from Canada, each with their own budget and staff.

The Canadian commissioner is appointed by the governor-in-council and also serves as the surveyor general of Canada under the minister of natural resources.

[7] In October 2007, American federal judge Marsha J. Pechman ruled that the president can fire the boundary commissioner.

The International Peace Garden, built in 1932 on the boundary between Manitoba and North Dakota, required authorization from the commission.