TRENTON - In celebration of Earth Week, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Ed Potosnak announced the addition of two regions to the DEP’s Resilient NJ program, a unique effort that brings together multiple municipalities to plan regionally to protect communities from flooding.
The two new regions are surrounding the Shark River in Monmouth County and the Lower Passaic River in Essex County.
In addition, Potosnak announced that the DEP is now accepting applications to develop up to four additional Resilient NJ planning regions to further expand the successful program and improve flood and climate resilience throughout the state. “Persistent flooding is being felt across our state, but it’s important to remember that communities experience these impacts in different ways,” Gov. Mikie Sherrill said. “Resilient NJ’s planning efforts help regional teams identify their unique vulnerabilities and demonstrate that bolstering resilience can be achieved in a cost-effective way without placing the burden on residents and local communities.” “The Resilient NJ program has a proven record of bringing together communities in regions with shared concerns to provide them with the scientific expertise, tools and financial assistance critical to advancing work that better protects homes, businesses and infrastructure from climate impacts,” Potosnak said. “Together, we are working to deliver on our mission to make our communities and local economies safer and more resilient to the impacts of flooding.” The program provides municipalities with much needed resources, expertise, and support needed to develop practical, forward-looking solutions that protect our natural resources, improve infrastructure, and expand access to public spaces. “With the addition of these regions, the Resilient NJ program is working with 87 municipalities in both coastal and inland areas. As we look to further expand the program, we urge municipalities to learn more about Resilient NJ and how it can help them better protect property, lives and infrastructure in their communities,” Chief Resilience Officer Nick Angarone said. Regional resilience action plans crafted through the Resilient NJ program help local governments identify and implement innovative regional solutions to address climate change related risks, while also enhancing the value and integrity of ecological, economic, recreational, and natural resources unique to their regions. During plan development, key community assets such as emergency services facilities and historic structures are identified and mapped to ensure plans address any existing and future climate hazard vulnerabilities. The Shark River Basin Region consists of Avon-by-the-Sea Borough, Belmar Borough, Neptune City Borough, Neptune Township and Wall Township, and three community-based organizations – the American Littoral Society, Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute and the Shark River Cleanup Coalition. The Lower Passaic River Region consists of eight contiguous municipalities surrounding the watersheds for the Second and Third rivers in the broader Lower Passaic River watershed – Montclair Township, Glen Ridge Borough, Bloomfield Township, Nutley Township, Belleville Township, West Orange Township, City of Orange Township, and City of East Orange – and two community-based organizations – NY/NJ Baykeeper and the Passaic River Coalition. Each region will receive grants to engage in the planning process to develop solutions that improve the resilience of their communities. DEP invites municipalities across New Jersey’s 21 counties to establish self-identified regions, made up of at least three contiguous municipalities and at least one community-based organization, to apply for the latest Resilient NJ funding opportunity. As many as four regional teams will receive grants of up to $300,000 each to improve climate resilience in their communities. Selected regional groups will be paired with multidisciplinary consulting teams comprised of planners, engineers, ecologists, designers, and other experts to develop and implement region-wide resilience action plans. DEP will provide approximately $2 million dollars to each consultant team to lead each region through the comprehensive planning process. County governments, regional planning commissions, and utility authorities are also eligible to participate. Teams must share municipal borders and may cross county borders. Grant applications are now available and are due July 2, 2026. Selected regional teams will be notified in September 2026. For more information about eligibility and to find the application materials, visit: https://resilient.nj.gov/ Once all regional teams are selected and awarded, DEP will hold a separate process to choose the consulting teams that will partner with each selected regional team. Each regional team and its consulting team will assess current and future climate hazard vulnerabilities, identify specific actions to reduce hazard risk, evaluate those options using a detailed cost-benefit analysis, develop resilience action plans, and support the regions with planning action implementation. Funds for the consultants are awarded separately from these municipal grants. The goal is for each new region to kick off its efforts by the end of 2026. Funding for the Resilient NJ program comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of the Building a Climate Ready NJ initiative, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. To learn more about the progress that’s being made to make New Jersey more resilient, visit dep.nj.gov/climatechange. For more information on DEP’s celebration of Earth Week 2026, including a proclamation signed by Governor Sherrill, press releases, social media and other resources, visit https://dep.nj.gov/ |
