Posted on July 31, 2024
WILLINGBORO, N.J. – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) announced that the Building a Climate Ready New Jersey project will be awarded $72.5 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Resilience Regional Challenge to make New Jersey’s coastal communities more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards. Congressman Kim helped deliver funding for the program through the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.
“As New Jerseyans continue to feel the threats of extreme weather and flooding, the time for resilience action is now. Earlier this year, I helped advocate for NOAA to award the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection this funding and am proud that this award will bring federal dollars back to our state to help protect our Jersey Shore and coast communities. By bolstering our resilience across 16 coastal New Jersey counties, this project will help look after people’s safety, livelihoods, and the security of our coastal economies, all while uplifting a new generation of students and workers prepared to implement critical resilience projects,” said Congressman Kim.
In February 2024, Congressman Kim signed onto a letter of support with members of the New Jersey delegation to advocate for NOAA to select the Building a Climate Ready New Jersey project for this award. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will use the funding to improve community resilience across 16 coastal New Jersey counties by creating a resilience planning and project design pipeline to help implement resilience-focused projects. The project will prioritize benefiting disadvantaged communities, encompassing 432 municipalities, 47% of which are overburdened. The efforts will restore wetlands, protect critical infrastructure, use green infrastructure to address stormwater flooding and urban heat islands and create new public access to coastal waterways and recreational opportunities. Funding will also go towards education, workforce development, training and entrepreneurship opportunities throughout the region.
Administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA, the Climate Ready Coasts initiative is focused on investing in high-impact projects that create climate solutions by storing carbon; building resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restoring coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; building the capacity of underserved communities and supporting community-driven restoration; and providing employment opportunities
“As part of President Biden’s commitment to combating the climate crisis, we are investing $575 million to help make sure America’s coastal communities are more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As part of this historic investment in our nation’s climate resilience the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $72.5 million to help underserved communities in New Jersey develop and implement new strategies to protect themselves from flooding, storm surge, and extreme weather events.”
“NOAA recognizes that measurably reducing risks and coastal-area vulnerabilities are integral components of strengthening communities to work towards an equitable, climate resilient future,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “This funding provides New Jersey with climate data and services, technical assistance and critical resources that support transformational resilience, restoration and adaptation in support of the exceptionally strong demand for these types of projects.”
Congressman Kim is the Ranking Member on the Military Personnel Subcommittee, and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. More information about Congressman Kim’s accessibility, his work serving New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, and information on newsletters and his monthly town halls can be found on his website by clicking here.
