Forts Sumter, Moultrie converted to national park
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie have been converted to a national park as part of a comprehensive conservation bill passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump earlier this week.
The forts were known as Fort Sumter National Monument, established in 1948 and managed by the National Park Service. Dawn Davis, public information officer for Fort Sumter, said the change to Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historic Park won’t affect operations very much; it’s more about public perception.
“Sometimes monument … it’s not an easy thing to understand,” Davis said. “So national historical park, because it also has the word ‘park’ in it, is a little easier for people to understand the relationship with the National Park Service.”