Posted on July 29, 2024
Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department of Commerce and NOAA have recommended $72.5 million for a project in New Jersey to make the state’s coast more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards. The project encompasses 16 coastal New Jersey counties. The awards are being made under the Biden Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, a competitive, $575 million program funded through the nearly $6 billion total investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
“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.”
Administered by the 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
“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.”
The recommended project, Building a Climate Ready New Jersey, includes $72.5 million for work with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. It will improve community resilience across 16 coastal New Jersey counties by creating a resilience planning and project design pipeline to help advance resilience-focused projects from design to implementation.
This project will also support transformational resilience projects in multiple overburdened communities. 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. Funds will also go towards education, workforce development, training and entrepreneurship opportunities throughout the region.
“Over the last few years, we have seen the detrimental effects of increasing and extreme weather events across the state – especially in some of New Jersey’s frontline coastal and riverine communities,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It is critical that we ensure their resilience in the face of climate change and thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, New Jersey will receive much needed support to prepare these regions for flooding, storm surge, and other extreme weather events.”
“New Jersey’s unique coastal communities are a highlight of the Jersey experience. In addition to the millions of residents who call our coast home, thousands of families from across the world visit these towns throughout the year, generating billions in tourism dollars for our state’s economy,” said Lt. Governor Tahesha Way. “With climate change making our state more susceptible to destructive effects, we are focusing on ways to safeguard the families and neighborhoods on our coast. I am so grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for this critical funding awarded today to help create more storm resilient coastal communities in our state to protect neighborhoods and families from harm and maintain our beautiful Jersey Shore.”
“I am thrilled to see New Jersey receive $72.5 million to fund critical projects across 16 coastal counties to enhance our state’s resilience and readiness for climate impacts,” said Senator Cory Booker. “This investment, secured through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will restore wetlands, implement green infrastructure, and protect our environment while also creating new opportunities for education and workforce development. I commend NOAA for their commitment to fostering climate-ready communities, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of these projects on New Jersey’s coast.”
“It’s great to see the historic investments from the Inflation Reduction Act reach our local communities in New Jersey. I was proud to help pass this legislation into law to improve our nation’s climate resilience measures,” said Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01). “This funding is critical to making our state more resilient to storms, flooding, erosion and other natural hazards. We’ve got to stay prepared for the next natural disaster and this federal funding will do just that.”
“I am proud to see the positive impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, a historic law I helped author, bringing more than $72 million to the Jersey Shore through the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge. This was an incredibly competitive grant process, with nearly 870 letters of intent and over $16 billion in funding requests. This funding is crucial for New Jersey as it will help us reduce the severe flooding challenges our coastal communities face, create jobs, and protect wildlife habitats. By supporting living shorelines and other nature-based resilience and adaptation projects, we are not only protecting our environment but also ensuring a safer, healthier future for all our residents,” said Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-06).
“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 Andy Kim (NJ-03).
“Building a more resilient New Jersey by protecting our coastal communities from the threat of climate change is vital to our shared future,” said Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08). “I was proud to stand alongside my colleagues in requesting this important investment, and I’m grateful to NOAA for following through and delivering these funds. Once again, our state is leading the way in the fight against the climate crisis.”
Additional information is available on the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge website.
Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.
