FY 2002 BUDGET AND ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN FOR BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW

Badlands National Park Superintendent William R. Supernaugh today announced that the park’s annual performance plan and documents providing details about the appropriated budget and fee revenues for FY2002 are available for public review as required by the “National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998.” The park will have $3 million in its Congressionally approved 2002 operating budget with another $860,000 available from the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program to be spent on improving the visitor experience and protecting or restoring resources this year.

Highlights of the park’s budget, which funds specific goals in the annual performance plan, include:

$824,087 for natural and cultural resource management, preservation and research. This program area provides oversight of the black-footed ferret reintroduction effort, implements a plan to control non-native weed species, conducts monitoring of the park’s bighorn sheep population, and oversees scientific investigation into the plants and animals and their relationships within the prairie ecosystem. The park maintains an active paleontological research and curation program that provides information about the conditions under which the White River Badlands mammals existed, 30 million years ago.

Half the park is located on the Pine Ridge Reservation, giving the park a substantial cultural resource as a critical part of the park story. The ongoing management of the full museum collection, which numbers over 34,000 objects, as well as a 3000 volume research library, is necessary to give proper care to these objects of national significance.

$677,087 to address resource and visitor protection, public education and interpretive programs. Through the presentation of walks, talks, and children’s programs and the operation of park visitor centers, visitors learn more about the significance of the Badlands. Through active learning, park interpreters help build a national and international constituency for the agency and for issues important to the future of Badlands National Park. An active public affairs program reaches park neighbors and those who may never be able to physically visit the park through press releases and Internet education. Park staff is available on trails and at overlooks to assist visitors in having a safe and enjoyable experience. Through use of interns and a professional education staff, students in schools up to 100 miles from park headquarters have a ranger in their classroom to help them understand how their community interacts with the park. Visitors have the opportunity to learn about their natural world and its relationship with people past and present, through the efforts of the park’s staff.

Park staff is available to prevent the loss of natural and cultural resources from vandalism, theft or destruction. When necessary, they are available to investigate and enforce Federal laws and regulations designed for the protection of resources and providing a safe environment in which visitors may enjoy the park’s many attractions. In 1999, park law enforcement officers tallied a dramatic increase in fossil poaching incidents through the presence of all divisions working together to monitor park resources.

$1,032,987 for facility operations and maintenance. The park staff strives to provide the approximately 1.1 million visitors a year with safe recreational opportunities while meeting a goal of their being satisfied with the availability, accessibility, diversity, and quality of park facilities. The park maintains support facilities such as the Ben Reifel and White River Visitor Centers, three entrance stations, campgrounds at Cedar Pass and Sage Creek, and two picnic areas. The park supports 32 miles of paved roadway, 17 miles of secondary graveled roads and 22 scenic pullouts. The trail system consists of 16 miles of various types of surfaces including boardwalks at Fossil Trail, Prairie Winds and the Cliff Shelf areas.

$520,839 for park administration. This park program uses current management practices, systems, and technologies to accomplish its support mission. Administrative staff is necessary to meet a variety of legal requirements and to expend available funds and personnel efforts in the most effective way. This staff insures that mandates are fulfilled and guidance provided for efficient operations. Managerial capabilities are increased through support from other agencies, organizations, and individuals. A partnership with National Park Service areas in South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska is supported through management activities and funds.

RECREATION FEE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

$75,000 for Preparation and Curation of Fossils. Since 1993, Badlands National Park has been working cooperatively with the staff at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT) in the preparation and curation of fossils collected from the site named the “Big Pig Dig” in the park. Approximately 250 specimen jackets will be prepared and curated from this site. All specimens will be cataloged under the NPS curatorial system and the collections will be made available to the research community and the general public.

$37,500 to Interpret the Lakota Culture. The White River Visitor Center, located on Pine Ridge Reservation, is in poor condition with faded exhibits and deteriorating facilities. These dollars will be used to provide informal interpretation on the area and the history of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Additionally, exhibits will be upgraded or replaced, as well as improved audiovisual capabilities and increased availability of printed materials specifically on the human resources of the area.

$10,000 for Information Delivery System. In 1999, bulletin boards were constructed at key visitor use areas throughout the park. Funds were also used to purchase equipment to produce professional illustrations for these boards. The 2000 dollars will be used for final touches on the visual presentation of information for visitor safety and education.

$50,000 to Improve Interpretive Media. The Door Geology Trail and Cliff Shelf Nature Trail have both undergone changes in appearance and in education focus since 1995. Their trail guides were developed in 1988 and do not reflect these changes. Additionally, the interpretive exhibits at the trailheads are inaccurate or do not reflect sufficient safety and resource knowledge. These will be replaced or improved to reflect current management philosophy and safety conditions.

$7,300 for an Improved Herbarium. The museum collection includes a collection of approximately 60% of the plants native to the White River Badlands. The Ben Reifel Visitor Center has a layperson’s herbarium that is very popular with visitors wanting to learn more about many of the plants they find on a visit to the park. With these funds, the park will improve the existing study herbarium, repair the existing layperson herbarium and move it to the White River Visitor Center, and create an electronic herbarium using touch screen technology for the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

$93,000 for Improvements to Cedar Pass Campground. Winter camping at Badlands National Park is limited to the loop used for groups during summer. Winter campers do not have access to water or flush toilets. The area receives heavy use during summer by large camping groups, resulting in unsightly ground conditions. The area will be reworked to improve its appearance, protect the vegetation, and provide better service to campers.

$99,000 to Construct Wildland Fire and Structural Fire Cache. This funding will construct a fire cache facility that will house fire equipment, materials and administrative space for emergency operations in a central location. The project is a shared funding effort between Badlands and The Boise Fire Center. This facility will result in reduced emergency response time, providing better protection of park resources and potentially saving lives during emergency medical and rescue situations.

$308,700 to Rebuild Capture Facility for Bison/Improve Safety. This project will rebuild and redesign the current 38-year-old bison facility to accommodate the current 500+ bison herd. The current facility is undersized and has become unsafe for employees working with the bison. This project will ensure the proper management of Badlands’ prairie ecosystem, and maintain a healthy bison herd as well as provide a safer working facility for NPS employees.

$85,000 to Construct a Museum Collection Storage Facility. This 2-year project will construct a new museum storage facility to replace the currently inadequate museum. This project will permit the park to incorporate the current museum collections into interpretive avenues, such as the web, Touch Screen technology, and will permit interpreters to use the collection for research purposes through the addition of workspace.

$36,000 to Replace Deteriorated Fossil Casts. New fossil casts will be made for installation in the cases located along the Fossil Exhibit Trail. New technology using better plastics and fiberglass will allow the new casts to be more durable and appear more authentic. Over 250,000 annual visitors to the Fossil Exhibit Trail will have an improved visitor experience and a more accurate learning opportunity through the availability of these improved fossil casts.

$6,250 to Restore Native Prairie Ecosystem. Restoration of approximately 50 acres of native prairie will be accomplished in this four-year project through the use of prescribed fire, reseeding with native grass, and non-native control (chemical, biological and mechanical). These control measures can effectively eradicate or reduce many of the non-native plants and preserve one of the largest native prairie ecosystems.

$216,400 for Collecting Entrance Fees Funds will be used to collect fees park-wide and upgrade fee collection equipment. Badlands National Park is authorized to retain 80% of the fees collected for specific projects such as the ones above.

A copy of Badlands National Park’s complete annual performance plan, prepared in accordance with the “Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA),” is available by writing to Badlands National Park, P. O. Box 6, Interior, South Dakota, 57750.

The goals described in the park’s annual performance plan are derived from the 1997 NPS Strategic Plan, which establishes a performance management process for the Service and incorporates the requirements of GPRA. The Strategic Plan is available on the National Park Service homepage at www.nps.gov.

For more information on visiting Badlands National Park, go to our web site at www.nps.gov/badl or call (605) 433-5245. The park’s annual performance plan and upcoming planning efforts are posted on the park’s website.