INTERIOR - Badlands National Park needs more law enforcement personnel to combat the theft of fossils and artifacts, Superintendent Paige Baker told Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin on Saturday during a tour of the park.

Herseth Sandlin, who was surprised to learn from him that only 2 percent of the park has been surveyed for fossils, didn't respond specifically to Baker's request, but said as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, she has been concerned about budget cuts to national parks and the level of resources available to help protect them.

The two also talked about options for future management of the park's South Unit during a 2-1/2 hour drive through the park, though neither expressed a preference among the four management options under discussion:

y Keep the status quo.

y Share management between the Oglala Lakota Tribe and the park.

y Create a new unit within the national park system managed by the tribe.

y De-authorize the South Unit entirely and turn it over to the tribe.

A series of 13 public meetings discussing management options of the South Unit concluded April 18. Baker said the goal was to hear all of the voices to determine what the public wants.

"It's really a mix of people that have this blend of perspective, and I don't know at this point what the answer is going to be," he said.

Baker said he hopes to have a draft completed by this time next year, which will replace the management agreement that was created in 1976.

"We are looking at different needs and challenges we have," Baker said. "Right now, we are collecting data, and the idea is to look to the future to find out what is the best scenario that will work for the tribe and the National Park Service."

Herseth Sandlin said she wants to be able to successfully advocate for the people and parks in central and western South Dakota to make sure they are getting the resources they need.

"It's nice to just be able to see what we are talking about, to gain a better perspective of the South Unit and what it has to offer for people around the country and around the world," Herseth Sandlin said.

Discussion still must take place before a management option can be determined, Baker said. It will all come down to the opinions of the public, but Baker said it is unlikely anyone will see high-rise buildings in the South Unit.

"They want to keep the serenity, the quiet and the beauty that exists right now," he said. "When it comes to this, it's just like a breath of fresh air, and I hear that a lot."