This is the Fortieth diary in my Expanding the National Parks series. Last time I was in Rhode Island, this time I am in South Carolina. I took a break from this series after the election of Trump, and now after a few months of mourning about the wreckage he is likely to inflict on our national natural heritage, I’ve decided to resume. 2.9% of the state is federally owned, good for 33rd among the states, slightly behind New Jersey and slightly ahead of Maryland. South Carolina currently has 1 national park, 2 national monuments, 2 national forests , 8 wildlife refuges, and 7 historic sites and Other NPS units. I will propose adding more monuments to South Carolina’s tally. Prior diaries in the series are listed at the bottom of this diary.
South Carolina
Total Area 32 020 sq miles
Land Area 30 060 sq miles
Water Area 1 960 sq miles
Coastline 187 miles
Additional Monuments — 3
ADDITIONAL MONUMENTS-3
* Castle Pinckney Estimated Area 5 acres
The first Union fort occupied by the Confederacy after South Carolina seceded in 1860, Pinckney was designated as a monument by Calvin Coolidge in 1924. Pinckney was never as popular as Fort Moultrie or Fort Sumter, and FDR considering abolishing the monument in 1938. It is the 1938 AG opinion on Pinckney that set the precedent that monuments, once established, cannot be undone by the president, but only by Congress. Pinckney was abolished in 1956, one of the last monuments to be revoked, re-establishing it as a monument is only fair, as it was an important site in American history.
* Armistead Burt House Estimated Acreage 4 acres
Site of the last Confederate war council in May 1865. Jefferson Davis had wanted to keep the war going, but was voted down by his war council. After the meeting Davis and his cabinet dispersed. the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and was designated an historic landmark in 1992. It has been managed by the Abbeville Historic Preservation Commission since 1987.
*Camden Battlefield Estimated Acreage 2000 acres
Site of an 1780 Revolutionary War battle, which resulted in a massive British victory. it was the final battle of Horatio Gates’ career, and which had an American superiority in numbers of nearly 2 to 1 (4000 to around 2100 British. 900 Americans were killed or Wounded , another 1000 taken prisoner, compared to 68 deaths and 250 wounded or missing for the British . The defeat marked a low point in American fortunes in the war.
EXISTING AREAS
NATIONAL PARKS-1
* Congaree Established 2003 Covers 26 546 acres
First designated as Congaree Swamp National Monument by Congress in 1976, the monument was expanded in 1988 to 22000 acres, and was re-designated as a national park in 2003. Congaree conserves the largest remaining old-growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the US. two-thirds of the park is wilderness, and it was listed as a Ramsar Wetland in 2012. Nearly 150000 people visited the park in 2016.
NATIONAL MONUMENTS-2
* Fort Sumter Established 1948 Covers 235 acres
Preserves the site of the battle that started the Civil War in April 1861. Sumter was one of four forts which served as defense for Charleston, with Moultrie, Castle Pinckney and Fort Johnson being the others. Sumter was retaken in 1865, and was in ruins after the war. it was rebuilt and served as a lighthouse until the Spanish American War. It was designated as a national monument in 1948, and Fort Moultrie was added as a unit of the monument in 1960. Nearly 860000 people visited the monument last year. South Carolina’s national park Quarter,released in 2016, showed Fort Moultrie.
* Reconstruction Era Established 2017 Covers 65 acres
One of Obama's midnight monuments, the Reconstruction Era Monument consists of 4 sites-Penn Center, Brick Baptist Church, Emancipation Grove and Old Beaufort Firehouse- that served as important sites for African Americans during the Reconstruction era. the efforts to create the monument took almost 15 years, starting in 2001 near the end of Clinton’s presidency, but attempts to designate the monument by Clinton and via legislation in Congress were blocked by opposition by the Sons of Confederate Veterans , but in 2015 a new attempt to create the monument, met with overwhelming public support, and Obama designated the monument as one of his last acts in office.
NATIONAL FORESTS-2
* Francis Marion Established 1936 Covers 258 864 acres
The smaller of South Carolina’s two national forests, Francis Marion, is named after the Revolutionary War hero who was nicknamed the Swamp Fox by the British. the forest contains 4 wilderness areas- Hell Hole Bay, Little Wambaw Swamp, Wambaw Creek, and Wambaw Swamp, and was heavily damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
* Sumter Established 1936 Covers 370 901 acres
The larger of South Carolina’s national forests, Sumter is named for Thomas Sumter, the Revolutionary war hero (Fort Sumter is also named for him). the forest is split into several noncontagious areas and 3 districts- Andrew Pickens, Enoree, and Long Cane. the forest contains nearly 3000 acres of the Ellicott Rock Wilderness, which straddles Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-8
* Cape Romain Established 1932 Covers 66287 acres
The largest refuge in the state by nearly 21000 acres, Cape Romain contains water impoundments, salt marsh and barrier islands. 29000 acres, nearly half of the refuge, is wilderness. it was first established in 1932 as a haven for migratory birds, although loggerhead sea turtles and red wolves also call the refuge home. Lighthouse island contains 2 deactivated lighthouses. 154000 people visited the refuge in 2010.
* Carolina Sandhills Established 1939 Covers 45 348 acres
the second largest refuge in the state, the refuge was established in 1939 to conserve a portion of the Sandhills ecosystem, which includes sand dunes, longleaf pine and thin to nonexistent topsoil. the refuge was created from lands abandoned during the Depression after attempts to farm the land proved unsuccessful.
* Ernest F Hollings Established 1990 Covers 11 815 acres
protects part of one of the largest undeveloped estuaries in the US , and protects marshlands , riverine systems, wetlands and hardwood forests. the refuge is divided into two sections, Combahee River and Edisto River.
* Pinckney Island Established 1975 Covers 4053 acres
Conserves land formerly owned by Charles Pinckney , along with several other barrier islands, of which Pinckney island is the only one open to the public. the refuge is one of 7 managed by the Savannah Coastal refuges Complex in Georgia. 400000 people visited the refuge in 2004.
* Santee Established 1941 Covers 15000 acres
Conserves the Santee Indian mound and the site of the Revolutionary War fort Fort Watson, as well as large amounts of wetlands, used as a stopover by migratory birds. the refugee was originally much larger, but the refuge was shrunk in 1976 when the lease managing Lake Moultrie was terminated.
* Savannah Established 1927 Covers 29175 acres(in GA and SC) Budget $3,582,000
The largest of the seven refuges in the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex, Savannah straddles the border between Georgia and South Carolina, slightly more than half the refuge , 15000 acres, lies in South Carolina, the rest lies in Georgia. First established 1927 and consisting of over 2300 acres, purchases over the years have increased Savannah's size to the current 29000 acres. Local animals include alligators, Great Horned owls, bald eagles and manatees. in 2004 130000 people visited the refuge.
* Tybee Established 1938 Covers 100 acres
The smallest refugee in the state, Tybee was first established in 1938 as a 1 acre refuge called Oysterbed Island, which was used by the Army Corp of Engineers as a spoils disposal site , so that today, most of the island is made up of sand deposits. the refugee has gradually expanded to its current 100 acre size, and is home to endangered species such as wood storks and piping plovers.
* Waccamaw Established 1997 Coves 22931 acres
The youngest refuge in the state , Waccamaw was established to preserve undeveloped coastal wetland and uplands for the use of wildlife such as the red-cockaded woodpecker. Plans call for the refuge to double in size to over 55000 acres , the refuges covers 29000 acres to date. it is one of 4 refuges in the South Carolina Lowcountry Refuges complex, with Ernest F Hollings, Cape Romain, and Santee being the others.
HISTORIC SITES AND NPS UNITS-7
* ACE Basin ERR Established 1992 Covers 140000 acres
Named for the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers, the reserve conserves 140000 acres for wildlife habitat along with historic plantations and areas of cultural importance.
* Charles Pinckney NHS Established 1988 Covers 28 acres
Preserves a part of Pinckneys Snee Farm plantation, where Pinckney lived until 1816. the estate was divided for development in the 20th century, and the land that is now the historic site was bought be preservationists and donated to the Park Service in 1988. No structures survive from Pinckney’s time, what structures remain on the site were built after Pinckney gave up control of the plantation. 45000 people visited the site in 2011.
* Chattooga WSR Established 1974 Covers 15432 acres (in GA and SC)
Designated a Wild and Scenic river in 1974, Chattooga forms part of the Georgia-South Carolina Boundary. the river flows through the Chattahoochee NF as well as through the Ellicott Rock Wilderness, which lies in parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. most of the river is wild, about 40 miles.
* Cowpens NB Established 1929 Covers 842 acres
preserves the site of the Battle of Cowpens an 1781 American victory over British forces lead by Banastre Tarleton. it was first preserved in 1929 as Cowpens National Battlefield site, before it was transferred to the Park Service in 1933 and re-designated in 1972. Nearly 210000 people visited the battlefield in 2005.
* Kings Mountain NMP Established 1931 Covers 3945 acres
preserves the site of the battle of Kings Mountain, a 1780 American victory over Loyalist militias that helped to block Cornwalis’ attempt to move into North Carolina. Congress designated it as a military park in 1931. the park borders Kings Mountain state park which covers nearly 6900 acres and was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corp. Nearly 270000 people visited the park in 2005.
* Ninety Six NHS Established 1976 Covers 1022 acres
Conserves the original site of the town of Ninety Six , as well as a Revolutionary War-era star fort occupied by the Loyalists and the British. Despite several attempts by the Americans to take the fort and town, they were unsuccessful. The area was established as an Historic Landmark in 1973 and as a Historic site in 1976. Nearly 30000 people visited the site in 2005.
* North Inlet- Winyah Bay ERR Established 1992 Covers 18916 acres
Preserves two estuaries , North Inlet and Winyah Bay. Winyah Bay has the third-largest watershed of any estuary on the East coast, and has been significantly affected by agriculture and other human uses. North Inlet, by contrast is quite pristine, 90% of its watershed is in its natural forested state. the reserve is home to sea turtles, sturgeons and word storks.
This concludes my survey of South Carolina. Next time, I’ll be in South Dakota traversing the Black Hills and Scheming about how to squeeze Obama’s head and ears on to Mount Rushmore. As Always , comments and feedback are welcomed. See you in the Comments!
Prior Diaries
1.Alabama www.dailykos.com/...
2 Alaska www.dailykos.com/...
3 Arizona www.dailykos.com/...
4 Arkansas www.dailykos.com/...
5 California www.dailykos.com/...
6 Colorado www.dailykos.com/...
7 Connecticut www.dailykos.com/...
8 Delaware www.dailykos.com/...
9 Florida www.dailykos.com/...
10 Georgia www.dailykos.com/...
11 Hawaii www.dailykos.com/...
12 Idaho www.dailykos.com/...
13 Illinois www.dailykos.com/...
14 Indiana www.dailykos.com/...
15 Iowa www.dailykos.com/...
16 Kansas www.dailykos.com/...
17 Kentucky www.dailykos.com/...
18 Louisiana www.dailykos.com/...
19 Maine www.dailykos.com/...
20 Maryland www.dailykos.com/...
21 Massachusetts www.dailykos.com/...
22 Michigan www.dailykos.com/...
23 Minnesota www.dailykos.com/...
24 Mississippi www.dailykos.com/...
25 Missouri www.dailykos.com/...
26 Montana www.dailykos.com/...
27 Nebraska www.dailykos.com/...
28 Nevada www.dailykos.com/...
29 New Hampshire www.dailykos.com/...
30 New Jersey www.dailykos.com/...
31 New Mexico www.dailykos.com/...
32 New York www.dailykos.com/...
33 North Carolina www.dailykos.com/...
34 North Dakota www.dailykos.com/...
35 Ohio www.dailykos.com/...
36 Oklahoma www.dailykos.com/...
37 Oregon www.dailykos.com/...
38 Pennsylvania www.dailykos.com/…
39 Rhode Island www.dailykos.com/…