• Badlands formations against the blue sky; photo by Rikk Flohr

    Badlands

    National Park South Dakota

Park Planning

South Unit General Management Plan

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis announced on April 26, 2012 the release of the final General Management Plan (GMP)/Environmental Impact Statement for the South Unit of Badlands National Park, recommending the establishment of the nation's first tribal national park in partnership with the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST). Read More


North Unit General Management Plan

The Final North Unit General Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement guides the management of the North Unit of Badlands National Park over a period of 15-20 years. The Record of Decision announcing the selected management alternative was approved in December 2006. Management objectives offer a range of high-quality visitor opportunities and improved facilities while ensuring the protection of natural and cultural resources.

North Unit General Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement (21.1 MB PDF)
Record of Decision on the Final General Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement (391 KB PDF)


Prairie Dog Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (Plan/EA)

Badlands National Park sought comments for this plan in spring 2007 and finalized the plan in August 2007. The National Park Service objective for the plan is to ensure the black-tailed prairie dog population remains a viable and key factor in the park ecosystem, while providing strategies for controlling prairie dog expansion to private lands along the park boundary.

Prairie Dog Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (Plan/EA) (6.41 MB PDF)

 

Scope of Collection Statement

Badlands National Park Scope of Collection Statement serves to define the scope of present and future museum collection holdings of Badlands National Park that contribute directly to the understanding and interpretation of the park's purpose, themes, and resources and that must be preserved by Federal mandate. It is designed to ensure that all museum collections are clearly relevant to the park.

Scope of Collection Statement (1.24 MB PDF)

Did You Know?

Bison herd in the Badlands Wilderness Area

25% of Badlands National Park is a designated wilderness area. Established in 1976, the Badlands Wilderness Area consists of 64,144 acres of the largest prairie wilderness in the United States. Administered in two units, Sage Creek and Conata Basin, the area is open for backpacking and exploration.