Your Fee Dollars at Work

Out of the 425 units in the National Park Service (NPS), 108 parks charge an entrance fee. The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) allows the NPS to collect and retain revenue and requires that fee revenue be used to enhance the visitor experience. At lease 80 percent of the money stays in the park where it is collected, and the other 20 percent is used to benefit parks that do not collect fees.

Entrance fees collected at Fort Moultrie benefit Fort Moultrie, Fort Sumter and Liberty Square. Projects below are examples of park improvements using your fee dollars.

 

Water Filling Station at Liberty Square

NPS Photo

Improving Water Bottle Filling Stations

Water bottle filling stations were replaced at Fort Moultrie, Fort Sumter and Liberty Square. For visitors, these filling stations provide a sustainable way to access water. Bring your water bottle, fill up and stay hydrated!

 

The south wall of Fort Moultrie, repointed and cleaned

NPS Photo

Repointing Historic Brick Walls of Fort Moultrie

The National Park Service's Historic Preservation Training Center restored deteriorated and failing mortar joints along Fort Moultrie's south wall. The preservation work is done using methods that protect the historic brick and achieves the texture of the historic mortar joints present throughout the fort.

 

Volunteers and park staff work to spread oyster shell paths at Fort Sumter

NPS photo

Oyster Shell Walking Paths

Oyster shells are used at Fort Sumter to line paths for visitors to use while exploring the historic landscape. A natural solution, the shells help mitigate flooding of paths during heavy rain and high tide. In order to maintain these paths, shells are continually added and spread by staff and volunteers.

 

Historic Torpedo Storehouse, which today serves as the park headquarters building

NPS Photo

Historic Torpedo Storehouse Windows

The historic building you see today was built in 1902 as a storehouse. It is the last of a set of structures built to support a minefield in Charleston Harbor. Other buildings that have since been removed include a mining casemate, magazine, cable tank storehouse, and mine wharf. Fee dollars have been used to repaint and maintain the windows of this building.