Return of Swift Fox to Badlands National Park Proposed

The swift fox is the smallest member of the North American canids (dog family). This nocturnal fox feeds on small mammals, insects, and ground nesting birds. Swift fox were historically common across the Great Plains of North America. With European settlement of the plains, swift fox populations began to decline in the late 1800s. Swift fox populations in the central and southern portions of the plains have recovered, but northern populations have been slower to recover. While reintroduction programs in Canada and Montana have expanded the northern range of the swift fox, more help is needed to link the fox populations on the plains.

The Turner Endangered Species Fund began a swift fox reintroduction in fall of 2002 to a portion of west central South Dakota. Badlands National Park plans to begin a swift fox reintroduction this fall in south western portions of the state. The cooperative effort of Badlands National Park and the Turner Endangered Species Fund reintroduction project will help expand fox populations in South Dakota. Currently the only swift fox population in South Dakota exists in the extreme southwest portion of the state. Badlands National Park plans to translocate swift fox from Colorado and release them into the park and the surrounding prairie ecosystem. We have completed an Environmental Assessment for a swift fox reintroduction project and are seeking comments and concerns from the public. A link to this Environmental Assessment (EA) can be found at the bottom of this page.

Public meetings are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 at the Wall Community Center, Wall, SD from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm, and on Wednesday June 18, 2003 at the Badlands National Park Conference Room located at Cedar Pass-Interior, SD from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

To request a copy of the Environmental Assessment or to make comments, please write to Badlands National Park, attn: swift fox comments, PO Box 6, Interior, SD 57750 or email us at badl_planning@nps.gov.

Comments should be received by July 8, 2003, and addressed as above.

The Swift Fox EA is in .PDF format and requires Acrobat Reader on your computer.
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Swift Fox EA