
News Articles
"People should investigate what FOR is doing with their funds"
Posted on Oct 15th, 2019
It was recently stated on a Facebook page, “People should investigate what FOR is doing with their funds.” So, to save time and trouble for those people, here's a list of how FOR spends donors’ money.
- Six $1000 scholarships to graduating seniors who's chosen field of study supports environmental stewardship.
- River Ranger program in fifth grade classrooms throughout the watershed to teach kids about the river.
- Public education programs, free admission, open to everyone, held at the FOR Community Center, topics like septic systems, river hydrology, boater safety, gardening, etc. Five to six programs a year.
- Sponsor a river cleanup and three highway clean ups each year.
- Sponsor the Independence Day and Christmas boat parades with the FOR Community Center open for guests not located on the parade route.
- Advocate tirelessly for opening the mouth.
- Represent the river on the Citizen Advisory Panel with industries in Old Ocean.
- Twice renegotiated guidelines with Phillips 66 for barge traffic on the river.
- Advocate for San Bernard issues during Brazoria County Days in Austin each legislative session. This past spring that not only including dredging the mouth, but met with the General Land Office to solicit help for residents above the dam who are still struggling with debris from Harvey. Supply a truck load of bottled water with FOR logo label.
- Volunteer at Sweeny Pride Day judging cook-off entries.
- Maintain a comprehensive, professional web site with links to key information on flooding and emergency contacts, informative stories about the river, both current and historical.
- Publish an semi-annual newsletter "Current News" to 1400 people.
- Instrumental in getting a real time flood gauge at Hwy 35. Currently working with the National Weather Service River Forecast Center to get an additional flood gauge at FM 521. If Federal or state funding isn't sufficient for that, FOR may dedicate some of their funds to the project.
- Exploring possibilities for starting a recycling program for river residents.
- Working with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to match owners of failing septic systems with funds to repair or replace them.
- FOR owns zero property. It facilitates a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Supplemental Environmental Project and uses TCEQ water violation fines to purchase a contract with the estate to preserve a virgin hardwood forest on the San Bernard banks at the Brazoria / Ft.Bend County line. FOR pays for the surveys and legal fees. Ducks Unlimited holds the easement contract with the estate.
- Improvements to the Community Center - handicap parking, handicap restroom, pavilion and septic system. The dock redo and new fence were built with Home Depot grants at no cost to the organization
- Texas Stream Team water quality tests completed each month measuring the physical and chemical parameters of San Bernard at two locations.
––Friends of the River San Bernard Board of Directors
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