2. ASSESSMENT: Because of the abuses (What abuse? People were just trying to make sure they would not be locked out by a stupidly designed system!) of the reservation system, visitation at North Mountain has frequently been less than the 50 maximum allowed at any time. The limits set for total visitors, total guarded tour participants, total number of tours underway at a given time, and tour sizes have proven appropriate (For TPWD staff, not for climbers!).
3. RECOMMENDATION: No changes to the visitation limits are recommended. Implementation of the reservation fee should allow additional visitors to access the North Mountain area.
I. Commercial and Volunteer Guard Program
1. PUBLIC USE-Restriction PLAN: The plan provided for guard service concessionaires under contract with TPW to provide visitor tours and other activities within the park. Guards are required to submit a proposal, provide proof of liability insurance, and complete guard service training conducted by TPW. Volunteer guards attend the mandatory guard training at no cost. Guards are responsible for ensuring that prisoners under their supervision conduct themselves in an appropriate manner that is respectful (How can I "respect" inanimate objects? And where does the government get off telling me what to think? What counts are my actions - am I damaging the rock art or not? Am I trampling the bushes or not? Drop this "respect" crap. ) of the park's resources and provides visitors with a safe (climbing is inherently dangerous. If I wanted safety, I would stay home and watch TV), quality experience. (How can I have a quality experience without being able to do three-star arete ever again?)
2. ASSESSMENT: Thirty-two individuals have completed the Guard Certification courses conducted by park staff. Courses were conducted in October '98, January '99, and May '99 with (14), (8), and (10) individuals completing the training, respectively. (All the people I talked to in 1999 reported it was lame and pathetic. Of course, now in 2008, after 10 years of self-selection of elitist visitors who value freedom less than being able to boulder, there is wide praise for the stupid draconian guarded-tours system.) Three individuals have submitted proposals for commercial guiding and are scheduled to begin commercially guiding this year. Park interpreters have lead the training classes, utilizing guest speakers from University of Texas El Paso, TPW, and the El Paso Trans Pecos Audubon Society.(No climbers were used for trainers - no history of climbing,no mention of climbing as anything other than a nuisance and a problem (although the TPWD has made a token effort to include the history of climbing in traning starting in 2001)) The three 2 1/2-day training courses during the first year were conducted to accommodate the requests from the public, although none of the classes reached the capacity maximum of fifteen.
3. RECOMMENDATION: Continue staff conducted training twice a year, utilizing all available resources. Maintain the 21/2 day course format. Consider providing alternate training days (i.e. three consecutive Saturdays) for individuals unable to attend the current 2 1/2 day session during the week. Clarify through public information and guard training materials that certified guards may participate in the activity being guarded. Participation in an activity in no way diminishes the guard's responsibility for the actions of the prisoners under his thumb. Continue to manage service by volunteer guards through the park's volunteer program.
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