JANUARY VISITATION AT BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Mild, dry weather has brought a few more folks to South Dakota's largest national park in January of 2002. Visitation is up 3.5% over 2001 figures with 10,945 visits posted, compared with 10579 visits for January of 2001. However, people wanting to visit Badlands National Park or any other unit of the National Park Service will still find that Internet access and email reception is unavailable.

In compliance with a U.S. District Court judge's order, a number of Department of the Interior agencies were disconnected from both computer access to the Internet and external network connections as of early December, 2001. As a result, the National Park Service Internet website (www.nps.gov) is not available until further notice. This order has also impacted electronic mail (e-mail) traffic between the National Park Service and all outside sources. At this point, we are unable to send or receive e-mail to or from anyone outside the National Park Service.

Badlands National Park has been affected like all other national park units. Anyone attempting to visit the park's webiste (www.nps.gov/badl/) or attempting to send an electronic message to any of the park's addresses (badl_information@nps.gov for general information or badl_planning@nps.gov for comments or questions on the park's planning efforts) will find access denied until further notice. This also applies to Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, the state's newest national park. The Minuteman's website (www.nps.gov/mimi/) and information address (mimi_information@nps.gov) are also unavailable until further notice.

We appreciate the public's cooperation and patience and ask that if any information is needed regarding Badlands National Park or Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, please call (605) 433 - 5361.