Your Fee Dollars at Work

Of the more than 400 national parks in the National Park System, only 109 charge an entrance fee. The current Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) allows the National Park Service to collect and retain revenue and requires that fee revenue is used to enhance the visitor experience. At least 80 percent of funding from recreation fees stays in the park where it is collected, and the other 20 percent is used to benefit parks that do not collect fees or parks which generate only a small amount of revenue.

What does that mean for our national parks and for you?

Check out this webpage to learn more about the National Park Fee program: Your Fee Dollars at Work

Over 95% of entrance fees collected at Fort Moultrie remain in the park and support the visitor experience at the Fort Moultrie site, Fort Sumter, the US Coast Guard Historic District on Sullivan's Island, 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.

 

New park signs have been installed throughout the park, like this one located at Liberty Square.

NPS/ M. Haas

Replacing and Updating Park Signs

Did you know that in 2019 Congress redesignated the park from Fort Sumter National Monument to Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historic Site?

This project replaced many old and faded building identification signs and included an update of the park's new designation. The park's building identification signs are an important tool to help orient visitors to the many points of interest within the park.