Jessie F. Fuentes receives Rio Grande River International Study Center’s Community Champion Award
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2024
Rio Grande River advocate and Eagle Pass community volunteer, Jessie F. Fuentes, was honored at the 30th Annual Rio Grande River International Study Center’s Membership Meeting Spring Mixer held on June 15, 2024 in Laredo, Texas where he received recognition for his exceptional environmental community work concerning the Rio Grande River and was presented the Community Champion Award at the event.
“We are grateful and appreciative of the environmental advocacy of Jessie F. Fuentes regarding the delicate ecosystem of the Rio
Grande River that is the sole potable water supply for over six million people on the Texas-Mexico border,” Tricia Cortez, Executive Director of the Rio Grande International River Study Center, said.
Fuentes is a retired public school educator and operates Epi’s Canoes and Kayaks in Eagle Pass, Texas with a specialization of placing people on the Rio Grande River for purposes of studying, conducting research, documenting, observing, witnessing, and experiencing the majestic and unique ecosystem of the Rio Grande River, the second longest river in the United States.
“The Rio Grande River has been a key provider of life, food, substance, and water for hundreds of species, including humans, for thousands of years and is the only river of its kind on Planet Earth, requiring protection and conservation of its most vital source of life: water,” said Fuentes. “Water is life,” added Fuentes. “Without water, most forms of life on Earth, including humans, will perish and become extinct,” noted Fuentes.
The Rio Grande River is in distress from a myriad of natural disasters and man-made factors, including being in a severe drought affecting the United States and Mexico, pollution, over irrigation, climate change, burgeoning population growth along the Texas- Mexico border, industrialization, and militarization of the Texas-Mexico border.
Although the United States and Mexico have joint governmental entities that oversee the management of the Rio Grande River and its precious water resource such as the International Boundary and Water Commission, the Rio Grande River must be protected and conserved by human advocates such as the Rio Grande River International Study Center in Laredo, Texas and community champions like Jessie F. Fuentes in Eagle Pass, Texas.
“I consider myself an advocate for the Rio Grande River because someone has to speak on behalf of the river and the hundreds of species, including humans, wildlife, and fauna that depend on it for life,” said Fuentes.
Fuentes and his canoes and kayaks business sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott regarding the militarization of the Rio Grande River and closure of the City of Eagle Pass, Texas’ only public park and boat ramp through the controversial $12 Billion tax-payer funded Operation Lone Star program, which has been in effect since March 2021. Fuentes later dismissed his lawsuit after the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Governor Abbott and the State of Texas regarding similar issues.
Fuentes frequently speaks in public meetings and government public hearings in defense of the Rio Grande River in order to preserve it for future generations of people, wildlife, and fauna. He is a passionate advocate for the Rio Grande River and its delicate, imperiled ecosystem.
