"It's a small change. But the transfer of the White River Visitor Center at Badlands National Park to the Oglala Sioux Tribe is a good one.

The prosperity it's supposed to lead to, though, is another story.

Tribal officials hope this is the start of something big - with a new Lakota Heritage and Education Center near Red Shirt and a fossil facility that could end a long dispute over protection of valuable fossils in the southern unit. Fossil collection was ended in 2002 after tribal protests.

Those centers would be part of a general development to include paving of BIA 2, additional roads, gas stations, hotels and other attractions. The tribe's goal is to draw 600,000 people a year.

Get the Story:
Editorial: Badlands tourism (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 10/7)

Related Stories:
Oglala Sioux Tribe takes over park visitor center (10/4)