New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak recently announced the addition of Cumberland County Bayshore and two other regions to DEP’s Resilient NJ program, an innovative effort that supports teams of multiple municipalities, community-based organizations and consultants in bolstering regional resilience and making smart investments that protect homes, businesses and infrastructure from flooding and other climate impacts.
The other newly formed teams are Delaware River-Sourland Mountain and Burlington County-Southwest Pinelands. These three bring the total number of regions to nine within the nationally recognized program.
Each regional team will be paired with planners, engineers, ecologists, designers, and other experts to identify climate vulnerabilities, create resilience action plans and implement projects. Each region will receive grants of up to $350,000 to support its participation. It’s expected that each region will kick off work at the beginning of next year.
“Floodwaters, extreme heat and wildfires do not stop at municipal boundaries. These shared climate hazards require regional action, informed by the latest climate science, to protect public health and safety,” said Potosnak. “The addition of these new regional planning groups ensures that communities are taking proactive measures that don’t just plan for the next storm but drive solid investments in natural systems and infrastructure to further deliver on the Sherrill Administration’s priority of mitigating flooding.”
The Cumberland County Bayshore Region is comprised of Maurice River, Commercial, Downe, Lawrence, Fairfield, and Greenwich townships, Cumberland County, and five community-based organizations—the American Littoral Society, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Reserve, Bayshore Center at Bivalve, and Citizens United for the Maurice River.
“Cumberland County is looking forward to working with NJDEP and its professionals as a means to support the oyster and fishing industry while providing necessary assistance to our historic Delaware Bayshore communities,” said Cumberland County Commissioner Director Sandra Taylor. “Our hope is that we can create a successful resiliency plan along the Delaware Bay coastline that will support our local governments’ goals while promoting the exceptional environmental work produced by our non-profit partners.”
In total, DEP’s Resilient NJ is providing approximately $10 million for five regional and consulting team project efforts.
Funding for these projects is made available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
