National Park Service removes climate change facts sign from Civil War landmark Fort Sumter: report
The move reportedly follows an executive order from President Donald Trump calling for the removal of 'divisive' ideology from federal sites
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The National Park Service reportedly removed a sign informing visitors of the threat of climate change at the historic Fort Sumter site in South Carolina, where the Civil War began.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that earlier this month, the Park Service removed a sign informing visitors that "as the earth’s climate changes, rising seas could inundate most of the fort’s walls," warning that the ground would be "constantly submerged" if Charleston Harbor's sea level rose by four feet.
The article cited three anonymous federal employees, who suggested that the sign's removal was in accordance with President Donald Trump's executive order in March calling for the removal of "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from federal sites, including parks and museums.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The National Park Service operates the Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston harbor, the location where the Civil War began in 1861. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The order also directed the secretary of the Interior, who oversees the National Park Service, to restore national parks, monuments and statues that have been "improperly removed or changed" in recent years to fit what it called a false revision of history.
"The Department of the Interior is implementing Secretary’s Order 3431, which carries out President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order on ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.’ All federal agencies are to review interpretive materials to ensure accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values. Following completion of the required review, the National Park Service is now taking appropriate action in accordance with the Order," a press spokesperson for the Interior Department said in a statement to Fox News Digital when reached for comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fort Sumter is a sea fort located in Charleston, S.C., and was the site of an attack by Confederate forces in 1861, which led to the start of the American Civil War.
In a comment to The New York Times, Interior Department spokesperson Elizabeth Peace said that the National Park Service is "taking action to remove or revise interpretive materials" to ensure "accuracy, honesty and alignment with shared national values," though she did not comment about the specific sign's removal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The sign reportedly warned visitors that Fort Sumter's grounds could be "constantly submerged" because of the effects of climate change. (Randall Hill/Reuters)
Kristen Brengel, senior vice president for government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, told The New York Times that the Trump administration was guilty of "censoring climate science" by removing the sign.
"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," Brengel said. "For years, National Park Service staff have been raising the alarm about the threat sea level rise poses to Fort Sumter. They have worked tirelessly to protect this priceless place."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Trump administration has ordered the National Park Service to remove "anti-America" ideology from federal parks and museums. (iStock)
The Trump administration has also instructed the National Park Service to review and remove any diversity-related or anti-America ideology materials from its merchandise and gift shops.
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Fox News' Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.