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Washington
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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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