New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak kicked off Climate Week by announcing the addition of three 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 newly formed teams in the Delaware River Sourland Mountain, Cumberland County Bayshore and Burlington County Southwest Pinelands regions 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 their 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 Commissioner 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.”
NJ Climate Week provides an opportunity for the public to learn more about the latest actions being taken to make the state more resilient to the worsening impacts of flooding, storms, extreme heat and sea-level rise. Strengthening New Jersey’s climate resilience is a key priority for the Sherrill Administration.
New Resilient NJ Regions
Since 2021, the Resilient NJ program has worked to bring together municipalities to look beyond their individual borders and provide the tools to address current and future climate hazards on a regional scale. Through collaboration, local leaders and community partners work to identify vulnerabilities, prioritize solutions and plan a more resilient future.
The three new regions are:
- The Delaware River Sourland Mountain Region consists of Lambertville, Stockton Borough, Delaware Township, West Amwell Township, East Amwell Township, Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough, Pennington Borough, and two community-based organizations – Sourland Conservancy and The Watershed Institute.
- The Cumberland County Bayshore Region is comprised of Maurice River, Commercial, Downe, Lawrence, Fairfield, and Greenwich townships, Cumberland County, and four 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.
- The Burlington County Southwest Pinelands Region consists of Evesham Township, Medford Township, Medford Lakes Borough, Shamong Township, Tabernacle Township, Burlington County, and one community-based organization – Pinelands Alliance.
These three new regions join the Shark River Basin and Lower Passaic River regions that were announced in April 2026.
“Together, these regions represent the diversity of New Jersey’s communities and landscapes, each facing unique climate challenges,” said New Jersey Chief Resilience Officer Nick Angarone. “Through Resilient NJ, these regions will develop robust plans with tailored solutions that are ready for the next funding opportunity.”
“Cumberland County is looking forward to working with NJDEP and their 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.”
“Climate change is no longer abstract or theoretical; it’s now a physical reality impacting our communities and infrastructure,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, liaison to the County Department of Resource Conservation. “No part of New Jersey is immune, and Burlington County’s Pinelands towns are increasingly at risk from more frequent and intense wildfires, inland flooding, droughts, heatwaves, storms, and other impacts from climate change. These threats require multiple levels of government to work together, and we’re grateful to have the DEP’s support, and the help of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, for this regional planning initiative. We believe it will help our county and municipalities become more resilient and ready for the climate challenges we face.”
“Even five years ago, the idea that eight municipalities covering 150 square miles would come together for regional resilience planning seemed very unlikely. But not today,” said Lambertville Mayor Andrew Nowick. “By committing to work across borders, elected leaders, volunteers, and CBOs in Hunterdon and Mercer County acknowledge the imperative nature of this initiative.”
Technical Assistance
With community input, the regional planning groups will work with a team of consultants that will help assess current and future vulnerabilities to climate hazards, identify specific actions to reduce climate risk, develop regional resilience action plans, and support the regions as they implement solutions. Funds for the consultants are being awarded separately from the municipal grants.
In total, DEP’s Resilient NJ is providing approximately $10 million for five regional and consulting team project efforts. One-third of the funding award must be used to implement selected planning actions that enhance the value and integrity of communities’ ecological, recreational and economic resources, and increase resilience.
Resilient NJ
Resilient NJ regional resilience action plans are used to support the implementation of projects that address climate impacts — including through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and DEP’s Natural Climate Solutions grant program — and have resulted in over $31 million in awards for participating municipalities.
Funding for these projects is made available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of the Building a Climate Ready NJ initiative (https://climateready.nj.gov/) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
For more about the Resilient NJ program, visit: https://resilient.nj.gov/. To learn more about DEP’s Office Climate Resilience, visit: https://dep.nj.gov/ocr/.