Scott Introduces Legislation to Raise Status of South Carolina's National Historical Sites, Rename as National Parks

Press Release

The Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Park Act of 2016, introduced today by U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), will provide oversight and protection to these historically significant sites in South Carolina's Lowcountry. The bill, which has received support from the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie Historical Trust, establishes a clear management plan for the preservation and maintenance of the site, and has the potential to enhance local economic opportunities and growth for the surrounding area through increased tourism and visitation.

Senator Scott introduced this legislation on Carolina Day, a day marking the 240thAnniversary of the Battle of Sullivan's Island, a key Patriot victory during the Revolutionary War.

"South Carolina's history is forever connected with the history of our nation as a whole, and establishing Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Park will help ensure our history is preserved for generations to come," Scott said.

Details of the bill include:

- Establish Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Park

- Codify clear and defining boundaries of federally managed land at Fort Sumter

- Provide National Park Service with a clear management plan for future park, maintenance, and development

- Recognize the importance of Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, and the Sullivan's Island Life Saving Station Historic District in American history and the role it played in protecting the Charleston Harbor during the Revolutionary War, The Civil War, and the development of the United States coastal defense system from 1776 to 1947.

- Commemorate the lives of the free and enslaved workers who built Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, the soldiers who defended the forts, the prisoners held there, and the captive Africans brought to America as slaves.

Each year, nearly one million visitors travel to Fort Sumter National Monument and Fort Moultrie to see where the first shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861. Fort Sumter has been recognized as a national monument since 1948, and since 1960, Fort Moultrie has been administered by the National Parks Service as part of Fort Sumter without a clear management mandate or established boundary.

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