National Park Service removes climate change facts sign from Civil War landmark Fort Sumter

The move comes amid Trump administration directives to remove "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from federal sites.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The National Park Service has reportedly removed a sign at the historic Fort Sumter site in South Carolina that warned visitors about the threat of climate change and rising sea levels to the landmark. The move follows a 2021 executive order from former President Donald Trump directing federal agencies to review and remove interpretive materials that do not align with "shared national values."

Why it matters

Fort Sumter is a significant Civil War landmark where the first shots of the conflict were fired. The removal of the climate change warning sign is seen by some as an attempt to censor scientific information and downplay the impacts of climate change on historic sites.

The details

According to the New York Times, the removed sign informed visitors that "as the earth's climate changes, rising seas could inundate most of the fort's walls" and that the ground would be "constantly submerged" if Charleston Harbor's sea level rose by four feet. The National Park Service cited the Trump administration's executive order as the reason for removing the sign, though the agency did not comment on the specific reasoning behind the decision.

  • In March 2021, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the removal of "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from federal sites.
  • Earlier in February 2026, the National Park Service removed the climate change warning sign from Fort Sumter.

The players

National Park Service

The federal agency responsible for managing and preserving the United States' national parks, monuments, and historic sites.

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States, who issued an executive order in 2021 directing federal agencies to review and remove interpretive materials that do not align with "shared national values."

Kristen Brengel

Senior vice president for government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, who criticized the removal of the climate change sign as "censoring climate science."

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What they’re saying

“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. 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.”

— Kristen Brengel, Senior vice president for government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association (The New York Times)

What’s next

The National Park Service has indicated that it will continue to review and revise interpretive materials at federal sites to ensure "accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values." It remains to be seen if the climate change sign will be reinstalled or if other similar signs will be removed from other national parks and historic sites.

The takeaway

The removal of the climate change warning sign from Fort Sumter highlights the ongoing debate over the role of science and factual information in the interpretation of the nation's historic sites and landmarks. This decision reflects the Trump administration's efforts to shape the narrative around issues like climate change, even at the expense of educating the public about the real threats facing these important cultural resources.