The National Park Service has reportedly removed an interpretive sign at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, that warned visitors rising sea levels could inundate much of the historic sea fort where the Civil War began.
The New York Times reported that earlier this month park officials took down a panel that said, "As the earth’s climate changes, rising seas could inundate most of the fort’s walls," and cautioned that large portions of the fort’s grounds could be "constantly submerged" if sea levels in Charleston Harbor rose by four feet. The Times cited three current and former federal employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity and said the removal was consistent with a March executive order from President Donald Trump directing the removal of "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from federal sites.
The sign reportedly warned visitors that Fort Sumter's grounds could be "constantly submerged" because of the effects of climate change.
The executive order also instructed the Secretary of the Interior — who oversees the National Park Service — to review and, when appropriate, restore parks, monuments and statues the administration says were "improperly removed or changed" in recent years. Fox News Digital and other outlets sought comment from the Interior Department.
Interior Department spokesperson Elizabeth Peace told The New York Times that the National Park Service is "taking action to remove or revise interpretive materials" to ensure "accuracy, honesty and alignment with shared national values," but she did not comment on the specific Fort Sumter sign.
The Trump administration has ordered the National Park Service to remove "anti-America" ideology from federal parks and museums.
Conservation groups and park advocates strongly criticized the removal. Kristen Brengel, senior vice president for government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, told The New York Times the move amounted to "censoring climate science." "There was no justifiable reason to remove a sign that educates visitors about the changes they are seeing to Fort Sumter with their very eyes," she said, noting that National Park Service staff have long raised alarms about the threat sea-level rise poses to the site.
Scientists and park officials have warned that rising seas and more frequent storm surge could increasingly threaten Fort Sumter’s walls and the surrounding harbor if projected sea-level rise accelerates. The Times report relied on anonymous sources; the Interior Department and the National Park Service provided general statements about reviewing interpretive materials but declined to address the specific sign removal.
The incident has intensified a broader debate about how federal sites should present scientific findings and historical context amid competing policy directives and efforts to revise interpretive materials.
