During Climate Week 2023, the New Jersey Coastal Management Program announced the installation of five Climate Change Learning Stations featuring MyCoast Photo Stations in four State Parks. A collaboration with the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve and New Jersey State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites, the Climate Change Learning Stations are located along various shorelines and provide park visitors with information on how climate change is affecting New Jersey’s coasts. Each of the learning stations features a MyCoast Photo Station, a strategically located phone mount to encourage visitors to become citizen scientists and help us track shoreline changes over time by taking photos and uploading them to MyCoast via the QR code provided.

Climate Change Learning Stations can be found at Cheesequake State Park in Middlesex County, Cape May Point State Park in Cape May County, Island Beach State Park in Ocean County, and Liberty State Park in Hudson County.  

Amidst and in the aftermath of severe floods in December 2023 and January 2024, dozens of homeowners have expressed interest in a voluntary buyout led by the Blue Acres program. In February, Blue Acres held three events offering one-on-one consultations for homeowners affected by the recent floods. These events were held in Passaic County, Bergen County, and online.  

Blue Acres encourages local governments, community leaders and other disaster recovery partners to share Blue Acres’ informational flyer (available here in both English and Spanish) with homeowners in their network to ensure impacted homeowners are aware of the option to sell flood-prone or storm-damaged properties to the State for flood recovery and resilience purposes. Blue Acres is a long-standing program which always accepts applications from interested homeowners. To be evaluated for a State-led voluntary buyout through the Blue Acres program, homeowners must submit a Blue Acres application which serves as a non-binding expression of interest. Buyout funding criteria drive eligibility and property selection. Paper and online copies can be accessed here. 

ICYMI: In January, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program approved $6M in funding for Blue Acres to begin the buyout implementation process for 14 specific homeowners who were then notified and assigned Blue Acres case managers. Read more here. Additionally, in January, CBS News published an interview with a homeowner in Southampton (Burlington County) who underwent the Blue Acres buyout process after a severe rainstorm caused the Rancocas creek to overflow in 2019. New Jersey’s Chief Resilience Officer, Nick Angarone, and NJDEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette are quoted. Watch the full story here.