The Resilient NJ Program has officially concluded its inaugural round of regional resilience planning projects. The four original regional projects, consisting of 24 coastal municipalities – Atlantic County Coastal Region, Raritan River and Bay Communities, Northeastern New Jersey, and Resilient Long Beach Island– kicked off in 2020. They underwent comprehensive climate resilience planning processes across multi-municipal project areas. These efforts resulted in regional resilience action plans and the implementation of several actions from those plans, including successful grant applications, water resource master plans, concept designs, and site assessments. The total amount of additional funding for implementing actions in the original plans was approximately $26.5 million through the program’s efforts. We look forward to seeing what these regions will do next with their plans!   

Blue Acres celebrated its 30th anniversary! Approved by the legislature in August 1995, the “Green Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation, and Blue Acres Bond Act” allocated $340 million to acquire and preserve land in New Jersey. On November 7th, the ballot question set aside $30 million of the total allocation to fund the new “coastal Blue Acres” and “inland Blue Acres” (then focused explicitly on the Passaic River Basin), which received a 68% “yes” vote.   

Over the past three decades, Blue Acres has evolved from a subset of Green Acres into its own distinct program, expanding to encompass all coastal and inland waters statewide. Including the earliest flood-mitigation buyouts in Lincoln Park, Blue Acres has now acquired over 1,200 properties statewide. These buyouts represent families across nearly 50 municipalities safely relocated and 360 acres preserved as natural flood storage and public open space. Thirty years later, Blue Acres continues to advance its mission of safeguarding people and property from repeat flooding. 

In October, the NJ Coastal Management Program (CMP) hosted the Coastal States Organization Fall Membership Meeting in Cape May, NJ. During the annual multi-day meeting, Coastal Management Programs from 33 U.S. states and territories gathered to discuss federal legislative, administrative, and policy issues relating to coastal, Great Lakes, and ocean management.  

As the host, the NJ CMP shared its perspective on how the state is advancing resilience through project implementation, planning, relocation, and regulations- including presentations on the Green Acres Bay Point restoration project, NJ Fish & Wildlife Shell Recycling Program, the Resilient NJ initiative, the Blue Acres program, and a panel discussion on the beneficial use of dredged material.  

The meeting also provided an opportunity for the CMP to showcase the beauty of NJ to members during a field trip portion. Staff from the Office of Coastal Engineering discussed the Shore Protection Program, the history of beach nourishment in NJ, and the ongoing coordination with municipalities to combat shoreline erosion. Members also visited the Cape May Point Arts and Science Center and listened to presentations on the history of Cape May and the Center, as well as on research initiatives, including Project Monarch. The field trip concluded with a tour of South Cape May Meadows to learn about the history of a former borough and to explore the nature preserve managed by The Nature Conservancy.