Innerarity Point Park

In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. For an entire summer, the oil well continued to spill—an environmental disaster many called the worst in the nation’s history. As part of the penalty for its role in the disaster, BP paid nearly $17 billion to fund restoration and land protection throughout the Gulf region. The Trust for Public Land partnered with Florida Department of Environmental Protection to use some of this funding to create Innerarity Point Park, a special place for people to connect with nature—and each other—and help the community rebuild.

Before Innerarity Point Park, there was no area for local residents to swim, fish or host a family picnic on the waterfront. Non-motorized boaters had no safe place to launch their kayaks, canoes, and the like. Now this community park includes a boardwalk, dock and paddlecraft launch, two playgrounds, and a swimming platform providing bathers with a safe place to enjoy the water. This project utilized funding from the Deepwater Horizon settlement from BP and is one of five new waterfront access parks that we’ve completed in cooperation with Florida DEP.