Rgisc Inc.

“Rgisc solicits annually to the public to become members by contributing funds in different levels.”

“A draft of form 990 is presented to the board of directors for review prior to cpa's electronic submission of tax return.”

“Rgisc monitors and enforces compliance at least annually and when new officers, board members and key employees are added.”

“Compensation is reviewed by board of directors and any decision made is based on comparable pay in similar positions, demographics of region, and merit.”

“The executive director makes recommendations on compensation of other key employees. This is reviewed by board of directors and any decision made is based on comparable pay in similar positions, demographics of region, and merit.”

“Governing documents are available upon request.”

“The rgisc mission is to preserve and protect the rio grande-rio bravo, its watershed and environment, through awareness, advocacy, research, education, stewardship and bi-national collaboration for the benefit of present and future generations.”

“Biology, chemistry, geography, and ecology lessons into the project for a meaningful experience 3)expected accomplishments - increase the number of participating student teams by at least 20% based on previous year's participation; increase the number of middle and high schools from both laredo school districts by at least 30% based on last year's participation. Dia del rio - river cleanup and paso del indio nature trail work day: 1)goal - several hundred volunteers are called by rgisc to clean up sections of the river and the paso del indio nature trail. The goal is to instill respect and "care" for our natural resources through hands-on activities in our community, which includes trash removal, mulching of trails, planting native plants, trees, shrubs and wildflowers, and potting native tree seedlings at the nursery of the lamar bruni vergara environmental science center. 2)objective - recruit volunteers and promote the event; and measure the weight of garbage collected and disposed of as a baseline measure for future endeavors. 3)expected accomplishments - increase river sections cleaned by at least 20% compared with prior year; and have a baseline number on the weight of garbage/trash collected and disposed of during this event. Dia del rio - public art & mural project in 2015, rgisc organized its first-ever mural project with the local art community and art students. Six artists were selected to create and install five large-scale, eco-themed murals at north central park. The six-month project included the participation of hundreds of local art students, mainly at the high school level, to assist the six muralists. The murals focused on our region's local flora and fauna, and the critical importance of the rio grande for our survival. Dia del rio - public kayak excursions 1)goal - reconnect laredoans with the river by providing kayak excursions in october. 2)objective - continue offering kayaking excursions on the river to promote river conservation programs and selected topics such as river's flora, fauna, endangered species, and other critical issues. 3)expected accomplishments - increase the level of public participation by at least 35% compared to prior year's level of participation in terms of river art submissions. Also get at least 20 people on the two public kayak excursions.”

“Attended multiple talks by birding experts. Rgisc oversaw all details of the festival and worked in partnership with the local monte mucho audubon society and city's convention & visitor's bureau. The festival also included various community outreach events for locals: -a highly successful bird art contest that was open to the community, and received nearly 300 quality art submissions. -an engaging community talk at the public library with a birder who biked across the country raising funds for habitat preservation, and -a fun with feathery friends children's event at the laredo public library, for nearly 100 youth to learn about local birds and how to use birding optics.”

“Green space preservation. Rgisc also helped initiate the dialogue to establish the city's environmental services department. Rgisc opposed building a border wall within the river vega. It has advocated vigorously against aerial spraying of the herbicide imazapyr by the u.s. Border patrol on or near the river, where it represents a hazard to humans and river wildlife. Rgisc also brought attention to the near destruction of a critical inner city wetland at lake casa blanca by acquiring 13,000 signatures and holding countless meeting with city council members, and the u.s. Army corps of engineers. In january 2013, the city council eventually voted to sell all of this land for development with very little being preserved as a wetland feature. Manadas creek & wetland restoration project on a branch of manadas creek, near the intersection of i-35 and mines road, lies one of laredo's last remaining wetlands. Unfortunately, this isolated and fragile eco-system has become the resting place for tons of trash from rain events, and hundreds of shopping carts from the north creek shopping plaza that lies across i-35. The enormous quantity of trash has drawn the attention of st. Augustine high school, which has partnered with rgisc to undertake a long-term manadas creek & wetland restoration project over the course of two years. The project entails several day-long cleanups each month, as well as biology and chemistry field work, too. We also invite the public to join us the 3rd saturday of each month to help restore this severely damaged area.”

“Description of other exempt purpose accomplishment general: river monitoring: measure and document water flow and the level of of pollutants and pathogens in the rio grande. For more than 20 years, rgisc has conducted monthly sampling of water at multiple points along the river and submitting the data to federal and state agencies. Nuevo laredo water testing rgisc has worked consistently over the past two decades with officials from our sister city in mexico, nuevo laredo, to reduce the amount of raw sewer that is discharged each day into the river. At present, releases nearly 6 million gallons of untreated wastewater into the river each day, creating significantly high levels of e. Coli and coliform bacteria. Most of this comes from sewer lines that are either illegally hooked up to storm drains or illegally channeled into creeks such as la joya and las alazanas. In september 2015, rgisc conducted water testing at six sites along nuevo laredo's long, meandering creek system known as coyote. Results showed very low oxygen levels due to high nutrients and solids from solid waste and possibly heavy metals. Further testing is needed. In late january 2015, rgisc also investigated the source of the 3 million gallons of daily untreated wastewater emptying into the river from nuevo laredo's arroyo la joya. Fracking inside city limits in the spring of 2015, a new type of urban phenomenon entered city limits - horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Rgisc worked closely with residents of green ranch neighborhood, who were faced with two permit applications from an operator to drill and frack 2,000 feet from their homes. Rgisc helped residents become better informed about the legal landscape (at the local and state level) regarding fracking inside neighborhoods, as well as the potential health and environmental hazards of fracking so close to their homes. Residents with the help of rgisc staff and board members worked with laredo planners and city council during this process. The city council approved the permits but attached 30 conditions that the operator must comply with. The council also voted to update the city's outdated drilling ordinance and work with other groups in texas to amend hb 40. Partnership with the environmental defense fund for the second year in a row, rgisc partnered with the nationally renowned edf to host a series of public workshops in counties within the eagle ford shale. These counties are facing significant activity with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and are thus especially prone to hazards affecting their air, water, land, and public safety. The 2015 series of "neighbors of oil & gas" presentations were delivered in english and spanish in the cities and towns of cuero, karnes city, cotulla, laredo, pleasanton, carrizo springs and college station. Plastic bag reduction campaign in april 30, 2015, the laredo plastic bag reduction ordinance took effect, with a goal of reducing the nearly 120 million plastic bags consumed each year in laredo. Rgisc worked with hundreds of volunteers, business owners, religious and civic leaders, educators and city staff over a 10-year period to get this ordinance passed. In 2015, it continued its education awareness campaign by distributing thousands of loving laredo reusable bags at multiple events, and holding talks and discussions with multiple groups and at multiple schools, as well as monitoring legal hearings in a lawsuit filed against the city by a small group of merchants. The merchants lost the lawsuit, and have appealed that ruling to a higher court. Nature education: in 2015, rgisc organized various cleanups throughout the community, particularly along creek systems and other waterways: 1.las palmas nature trail on jan. 17 as part of mlk service day, 2.a two-day blitz at lake casa blanca to remove 5 tons of trash left behind by thousands of visitors over the easter weekend, and 3.a smaller cleanup at hillside park with members of a loca”

“Unrealized loss on investments -86 total -86”