Friday, July 2, 2010

We Need A Good State Park

We have a state park in San Angelo. Problem is, we need a good state park – one that does a better job of serving as a venue for fitness activities in the Concho Valley region. That’s understandably a provocative statement, so let’s take a closer look at the issue.

The mission statement for Texas State Parks is “Manage state parks and historic sites to conserve natural and cultural resources, provide recreational and educational opportunities, and foster an understanding of the diversity of Texas' lands and heritage for all generations” (source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Division web site).

How does San Angelo State Park (SASP) support that mission, and – more specifically- what are the specific goals for SASP? Is the purpose of SASP to be a large open space area where the buffalo roam and longhorns thrive, or is the local mission aimed more at being a recreational venue? Is the park intended to be an area where the Native American petroglyphs and prehistoric reptile tracks are preserved and studied?

Compared to some of the other state parks that come under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division’s management, San Angelo State Park (SASP) doesn’t have much to offer. It doesn’t have scenic mountain vistas, flowing rivers, or a lake suitable for recreation.

The park doesn’t have shaded forest areas that attract people; instead, the primary vegetation within the park is mesquite and cactus. In short, it’s located in good country for some types of outdoor activities – especially those that don’t require much water, shade, or spectacular scenery. Cycling, hiking, and trail running are some of the activities that fit well within the geographic limitations of where the park is located.

Ten years ago, the predominate activities in SASP were mountain biking, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, and a limited amount of RV and tent camping. Cycling trails in the park were generally well maintained (at that time), with volunteers from the community providing their time to work on those trails. There was a general “come on out and enjoy” atmosphere.

The State Park was also once considered a premier “go to” location for cycling within Texas. The area served as the venue for state road cycling championship events, and also hosted West Texas Championship series mountain bike races. Although some smaller local events still take place in the park, the larger events (and associated tourism revenues) have moved on to other more inviting venues.

So, what has changed over the past few years? Is SASP underfunded? Are more employees needed? More importantly, is there a clear vision, a strategic plan with associated measurements, and a correlation between primary user group needs and how the park resources are managed?

It's not as if the State Park management hasn't been offered suggestions for improvement.  The park manager was presented with a detailed proposal in 2004 (and again in 2007)  that included suggested action items to help improve the park and generate more usage.   None of the suggestions have been implemented; in fact, some park conditions and policies have arguably gotten worse since then.  Those suggested strategies are listed at the end of this blog post.

According to records supplied by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division, SASP has a staff of 11.33 FTE (“Full Time Equivalent”) employees and a 2010 budget of $376,150 ($264,902 salaries and $106,340 operations). Llano River State Park, which is arguably a more vibrant and better maintained area, has only 8.63 FTE and a similar budget of $393, 984 ($110, 556 operations).

Granted, Llano River SP is a smaller area (524 acres vs. 7,677 in San Angelo, but the majority of San Angelo’s acreage is simply undeveloped open space. Comparing developed area to developed area, Llano seems to do more with fewer employees.

Given that the State of Texas is facing a significant budget shortfall for the upcoming biennium, it’s critically important that we, as taxpayers, get a good return on investment for dollars spent to operate a tax-supported entity.

When local cyclists and runners were asked what could be improved at SASP to attract more users, the responses centered around common themes such as “keep trails maintained and mowed before they become unusable ….simplify front gate entry procedures (drivers license required, even when on a bike) …develop an end-to-end beginner trail …streamline procedures required to hold events in the park …change management attitudes to encourage more usage …”.

A common complaint centered on the park’s recent implementation of law enforcement techniques. As one (former) park user noted, “There’s very little traffic on park roads, so I assume the park officer with a radar gun is there to ensure that deer and jackrabbits don’t break the speed limit when they run across the road.”

The bottom line is that the park, as currently managed, is underutilized and should reach out to potential users for help in updating goals and developing strategies for improvement. A good starting point would be to ask the question “why don’t more people use the park, and what do we need to do to attract more visitors?”

(Suggested strategies, as presented to State Park management on multiple occassions)
 
1. Establish a broad based advisory committee for San Angelo State park, other than the Friends group. 
 
Problem description: The current input mechanism is either via individual user comments or through the Friends of the State Park organization. The Friends group does not effectively represent cyclists, hikers, and runners. The State Park management needs to receive input directly from user groups in order to improving venues and resolving conflict issues.
  • Action item/explanation: A broader advisory group would serve to advise SASP management on issues related to cycling, hiking, and trail running. This advisory group would provide a direct connection between SASP and organizations such as the San Angelo Bicycling Association (SABA) and the San Angelo Road Lizards running club. A suggested makeup for this advisory board would be a representative from the cycling and running clubs, plus six additional people representing cycling, hiking, and running.

 2. Improve relations with park user groups and volunteers from the community.

Problem description: The State Park does not have a good track record as relates to customer service and working to meet the needs of user groups and/or volunteers. Park management needs to reevaluate strategic plans to determine if management philosophy is a deterrent to increasing usage of the park.
  •  Action item/explanation: If the goal for the State Park is simply to be a repository for longhorn and buffalo herds, then that needs to be communicated to the regional community. If, however, the park’s goals include meeting the recreational needs of cyclists, hikers, and runners, then the park must be managed in a way that encourages usage by these groups. The classic example of this is closing all trails because some areas are muddy. This type of trail closing doesn’t stop the park’s animal population from damaging trails, but only prevents potential customers from using the park. In addition, policies regarding volunteer trail maintenance need to be re-evaluated. The current attitudes and procedures discourage people from doing volunteer work.

  3. Improve regional awareness of the State park and its recreational venues.

Problem description: More people need to be aware of what the State park offers in terms of recreational opportunities.

 4. Encourage groups to promote competitive and non-competitive cycling events in the State Park.

Problem description: SASP is underused as relates to hosting cycling, running, and multisport related events. This lack of utilization is partially due to a lack of awareness related to available venues, infrastructure, and procedures.
  • Action item/explanation: Although events are occasionally held in the State Park, there needs to be a planned effort to encourage and attract events and event promoters to use SASP. This could be as simple as a marketing link on the SASP web site that clearly outlines procedures, costs, and contact information related to scheduling activities in SASP.

  5. Plan and build an all weather trail that loops through the bounded by the Chaparral group shelter, cabins, Red Arroyo campground, and group shelter service road.

Problem description: SASP needs an all weather cycling, running, and walking trail that is available for day users, campers, and event participants.
  •  Action item/explanation: This new trail would serve multiple user groups. Casual cyclists and parents of younger children would benefit because this trail is close to and visible from the RV area, cabins, and Chaparral group shelter. Organizers of cycling events would use this loop for short course races and for the start/finish of longer events. In addition, a trail in this area “surfaced” with crushed gravel would offer an all-weather venue to off road cyclists when the normal trails are closed due to muddy conditions.

 6. Plan and build a “Central Expressway” route that connects from the OC Fisher dam to the North Concho camping areas.
Problem description: A significant number of entry level cyclists, runners, and hikers do not use the SASP trails because of rough single track trails, and because the existing trails present a confused maze to novice users.
  •  Action item/explanation: This “Central Expressway” trail would be a combination of existing service roads and new 6’ wide sections of trail that follow gently rolling routes. This recreational arterial would provide a less intimidating venue for casual cyclists, runners, and walkers, and would connect all major parking and camping areas in the park. Ideally, this route would be designed with minimal grades (i.e., no step climbs or descents), and would connect to the major trail heads and camping areas.

 7. Develop an improved trail map for mountain bikers, runners, and hikers with trails classified by level of difficulty, and a route map for on-road cyclists. Improve the trail marking signage.
Problem description: As noted in #6 above, the existing trails and map present a confused maze to new SASP visitors.
 8. Improve the restroom facilities at trailheads and other areas that are heavily used by cyclists and runners.

Problem description: The infrastructure is poor at major trailheads such as the Burkett area.

  •  Action item/explanation: The majority of off-road cyclists start and finish their rides at the Burkett trail head. Unfortunately, restrooms at this location are in very poor condition. It has also been mentioned that the SASP “master plan” calls for the Burkett trailhead restrooms to be demolished, which would obviously be a step in the wrong direction. The facilities at Burkett trailhead and other projected high use areas such as Isabel Harte and near the Chaparral group shelter should be identified as high priority projects for future remodeling and/or construction.

 9. Design and build an outdoor amphitheater in the area near the Chaparral group shelter
Problem description: SASP does not have a focal point for activities such as nature presentations, outdoor classes, and awards ceremonies after events.
  • Action item/explanation: An amphitheater would ideally be constructed near the Chaparral group shelter or Red Arroyo RV area using existing natural terrain contours and native rock seating (i.e., a design similar to the River Stage seating in downtown San Angelo. This facility would serve as a venue for SASP presentations, concerts, cycling classes offered by Angelo State University, and activities such as award presentations after events. Ideally, this amphitheater would be within walking distance of the red Arroyo RV area and cabins, and would be located in close proximity to the all weather trail described in strategy #5 above.


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