In 2020, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) updated the Stormwater Management Rules, which now require that municipalities incorporate green infrastructure into major development projects. In many areas of the state, this relatively new policy change has meant a significant departure from the way that stormwater management was approached previously.
Environment and Agriculture
Green Infrastructure in the Garden State: Stormwater Research in the Delaware River Watershed
Wednesday, September 20th, 2023Rethinking Colonial Narratives and Transforming Native Insight into Actions: Indigenous Preservation of History
Thursday, July 20th, 2023“Lenape means ‘the original human’, and that is where we need to get back to,” Chief Vincent Mann expressed, adding, “[reconnecting with the land] would provide us a way to encourage the people of tomorrow to take what we are sacrificing to create for them to further the future.” Indigenous people have a rich history of interacting in harmony with the environment.
Landmarking the Legacy of NJ Transgender Icon, Venus Pellagatii Xtravaganza
Thursday, July 20th, 2023“It is necessary to invoice Venus’s story, not only through black history, but through Latinx history and queer history. It is too important to excavate this kind of history, so what happened to Venus won’t happen again because it continues to happen.” expressed Michael Roberson, Professor, New School and Union Theological Seminary at the 2023 Planning and Redevelopment Conference hosted by the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association and New Jersey Future.
Planning for Tomorrow, Not Today
Tuesday, July 18th, 2023“It doesn’t matter if we make every vehicle electric, and it doesn’t matter if we turn of all power plants; climate change will still get worse,” exclaimed Shawn LaTourette, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), during the 2023 Planning and Redevelopment Conference plenary, The State of Planning and Redevelopment in New Jersey, co-sponsored by New Jersey Future and the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes! How Water Utilities and Communities are Addressing Changing Climate, Changing Regulations and Changing Lead Pipes!
Monday, July 17th, 2023“Water is the only utility you ingest,” noted Mark McDonough, President of New Jersey American Water, as he reflected on the serious responsibility that water utilities have to protect the health of the communities they serve. To deliver on this responsibility, water utilities must address ever-changing environmental challenges.
Planning for Climate Resilient Stormwater Infrastructure
Monday, July 17th, 2023“Watersheds are not political and do not follow political delineations,” said Mayor Andrew Nowick from the City of Lambertville at the 2023 NJ Planning and Redevelopment Conference (NJPRC). As flooding increases due to increased intense rain events and aging stormwater infrastructure, it is more important than ever to plan ahead to protect all New Jerseyans in the face of climate change.
Rolling Along: Why New Jersey Should Join Other States and Offer an E-Bike Incentive Program
Wednesday, May 17th, 2023Electric bicycles, along with programs intended to incentivize their adoption, are rolling out across the country and New Jersey can’t afford to be left behind in this transportation revolution. Transportation emissions, which account for more than a third of all total greenhouse gas emissions in the state, are a critical target for climate change mitigation, necessitating the use of every tool to help us drive less.
Eliminating Lead Service Lines: Filling the Funding Gap, One Drop at a Time
Thursday, May 11th, 2023In early April 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a major change in the allocation of federal funds provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to remove lead service lines (LSLs), replacing a distribution scheme that failed to properly recognize states with older housing stock where the lion’s share of LSLs are likely to exist. This was welcome news to New Jersey, as the state’s allocation will more than double from 1.7% to 3.8%, increasing annual funding for LSL replacement by $35 million (73%), from $48 million to $83 million.
From Federal Dollars to State Investment: Understanding Technical Assistance for Water Systems
Monday, April 17th, 2023At New Jersey Future’s Planning and Redevelopment Conference in June 2022, New Jersey Commissioner of Environmental Protection, Shawn LaTourette, emphasized the historic funding opportunities for NJ flowing from the federal government and implored attendees, “If you don’t have a grant writer on staff, hire one. If you do have one, hire a second.” LaTourette concluded his remarks by stating his desire for New Jersey to seize the opportunity for federal funding, and to position itself well for any additional rounds of funding.
New Jersey Future (NJF) at the White House
Monday, February 6th, 2023On January 27, 2023, New Jersey Future’s very own Deandrah Cameron—policy manager and backbone staff for Lead-Free NJ and the Jersey Water Works’ Lead in Drinking Water task force—represented NJF and the state of New Jersey at the White House Summit on Accelerating Lead Pipe Replacement, part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.
