NJDEP - News Release 24/P033 (2024)

(24/P033) TRENTON – On Friday, July 26, Lt. Governor Tahesha Way and Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette joined U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA officials, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, and other dignitaries in Perth Amboy to announce a $72 million federal grant for projects that will fund critical climate resilience projects through the Department of Environmental Protection’s bold and comprehensive Building a Climate Ready NJ initiative.

The grant’s funds will enhance resilience in many of New Jersey’s most densely developed municipalities, commit resources to help overburdened communities implement projects that protect against the worsening impacts of climate change, and partner with multiple organizations to empower communities through education and workforce training on climate change concerns. This comprehensive five-year initiative supports the Murphy Administration’s commitment to a more climate resilient New Jersey.

Here is what people are saying:

Tony MacDonald, Director of Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute: “The Building a Climate Ready NJ grant will provide critical support for the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute to work with our partners at the New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative (NJCRC). The NJCRC, a collaboration of over 80 university, nonprofit, private sector, environmental, state and local government organizations, was established after Superstorm Sandy to work directly with communities and leverage our collective expertise to make New Jersey more resilient to the threats of sea-level rise and coastal storms. Only together can we truly build a climate-ready New Jersey.”

Tom Herrington, Associate Director of Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute: “Building a Climate Ready NJ will significantly reduce community vulnerability and risk to future storms through the creation of a project design pipeline which will provide direct technical assistance to communities to plan, design, and ultimately implement local resilience projects. I look forward to coordinating the design pipeline with our NJDEP colleagues and our partners at the NJCRC.”

Peter Rowe, Executive Director of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium: “We are excited to work with NJDEP and its partners on the NOAA-funded project Building a Climate Ready NJ to address climate resilience challenges of NJ’s coastal communities including disadvantaged overburdened communities. We look forward to bringing onboard a coastal resilience extension specialist who will co-develop and manage the delivery of practitioner training modules in the CRECP (Coastal Restoration Extension and Credentialing Program) and provide outreach and educational information to communities across NJ. Also, we will support a NJCRC coordinator who will engage NJCRC partners and workgroups to manage the development and integration of all design pipeline components.”

Paul Juliano, President & CEO of New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority: “This funding award for Building a Climate Ready NJ highlights the advances that the state has made in leading the nation’s efforts on climate action. Ready NJ also advances efforts already underway in the Meadowlands to develop and implement climate resilient plans and actionable nature-based projects through an engaging and inclusive process. The NJSEA looks forward to collaborating with the Ready NJ team to make NJ’s resilience vision a reality.”

Rosana Pedra Nobre, Water Quality Manager for the New York – New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program at the Hudson River Foundation: “Preparing for heat waves, flooding, and other climate change impacts is a priority for New Jersey. We look forward to joining our sister National Estuary Programs and many other partners across the state to address this urgent challenge through education, trainings, and implementation of solutions thanks to the leadership of NJDEP and NOAA”.

Randall Solomon, Executive Director of Sustainable Jersey: “We are in awe of this investment. In partnership with NJDEP and others, Sustainable Jersey has been working to help municipalities become more resilient to climate change since Superstorm Sandy. And while some progress has been made, this program is a game-changer and will enable us to provide direct support to municipalities at a scale that will make a tremendous impact and that wasn't previously possible.”

Lisa Auermuller, Administrative Director at Rutgers University’s Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub: “The interwoven education, outreach, and training efforts, aligned across all phases of the Ready NJ pipeline, sets up diverse ways for New Jerseyans to participate in and inform the resilience of their state. Our strategies cross generations, learning styles, and technical abilities, ensuring everyone benefits from the enduring capacity commitments provided through this funding. I look forward to building upon the decade plus of partnerships and collaborations that have made this award possible.”

Melissa Miles, Executive Director of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance: “We are excited to work with Kean University, DEP, and our communities to increase coastal and flood water resilience. We look forward to the opportunity to facilitate community engagement and ensure that we prioritize equity throughout this initiative."

Janice McDonnell, Associate Professor at Rutgers University’s Center for Ocean Observing Leadership: “For the last sixteen years, the Department of 4-H Youth Development and the Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences at Rutgers have been working with NJ youth to first understand climate change and what it means locally, and second to arm young people with the leadership skills to take positive forward-thinking actions through community engagement activities that help communities be more resilient and adaptable. We are thrilled to be part of this project and work with the team to help build a climate-ready NJ.”

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