Gulf Coast Recovery

In April 2010, the unthinkable occurred off the coast of southwest Florida. A Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and killed 11 crewmen, spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days before it was eventually capped. The oil spill covered nearly 68,000 square miles of water and washed up on shorelines across Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Millions of fish, seabirds, and sea turtles died, and the fishing industry—an industry vital to Florida’s Panhandle economy—came to a screeching halt. Even Florida’s recreation economy felt the impact, with $700 million in losses from 2010 to 2011.

Recovering from an environmental tragedy like this is overwhelming, but alongside key partners and countless concerned citizens, Trust for Public Land has been working to restore the Gulf Coast by creating a string of waterfront parks along the Panhandle region. Beaches and parks are critical to Florida’s tourism and many Panhandle communities, and refreshing access to beloved waterfronts and green spaces is the key to recovery. Beyond tragedy, waterfronts across the East Coast are vanishing because of condos and second homes, but our work has brought people back to the shoreline. Fishing industries and tourism are rebounding, and residents are enjoying their shoreline again because of these awesome green spaces.

With continued pressure, this spill led to the largest environmental settlement in U.S. history, requiring British Petroleum Company Limited to put forth $17 billion toward restoration, research, and land protection throughout the Gulf region. But by looking at what’s possible, working together, and finding ways to prevent incidents like this in the future, we can look toward cleaner waters for all.