Jersey City Joins Regional Coalition to Launch Resilience Initiative for Flood Reduction

The Resilient Northeastern NJ Initiative Seeks Community Input to Build a Regional Strategy for Equitable and Impactful Long-term Climate Adaptation Strategy

JERSEY CITY, N.J., March 17, 2021- A coalition of local leaders and technical experts recently announced the launch of the Resilient Northeastern New Jersey initiative. This joint effort between the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Jersey City, Newark, Hoboken, Bayonne, Hudson County, Ironbound Community Corporation, and HOPES Community Action Partnership, supported by a team of consultants led by Arcadis, will identify and implement flood risk reduction strategies for the Northeastern New Jersey region to improve long-term environmental and economic resilience.

To ensure an equitable approach to resilience, the project team is seeking input, information, and recommendations from residents, workers, businesses, and organizations regarding their own experiences with flooding and storm events. Specifically, the Resilient Northeastern New Jersey initiative will work to address flooding from coastal storms, high tides, heavy precipitation, and overflowing riverbanks.

Resilient Northeastern New Jersey is one of four regional action plan efforts across the state that are being administered by the NJDEP Bureau of Climate Resilience Planning.

“We are excited to work with municipal and county leaders in the Resilient NJ regions to identify locally-driven regional solutions to current and future flooding,” said New Jersey Chief Resilience Officer Dave Rosenblatt. “Strengthening New Jersey against today’s climate threats is an important part of our long-term approach to climate resilience and we applaud these leaders for their vision and initiative.”

“We took the initiative to adopt the Jersey City Resiliency Master Plan in 2017, and have since implemented creative solutions to various challenges that urban areas like us often face to improve the health and safety of our residents and community – from requiring green infrastructure in new development to increasing tree planting, to new underground sewer infrastructure diverting storm water while reducing pollution in our local waterways, to other water-absorbing efforts,” said Mayor Fulop.  “This regional initiative will expand upon these localized efforts, and I’m confident that with the community’s input, we’ll create a stronger, more resilient infrastructure for generations to come.”

Community members interested in sharing their perspectives, recommendations, and experiences can contact the team through a variety of channels including:

·         Visiting the website at www.resilient.nj.gov/nenj

·         Downloading the project’s app for your smart phone: IRYS app on the App Store or Google Play Store

·         Engaging on Facebook or Twitter at @ResilientNENJ or on Instagram @Resilient_NENJ

·         Leaving voicemail feedback on the multilingual project hotline: 201-275-0861

·         Emailing feedback to ResilientNENJ@dep.nj.gov

·         Participating in virtual public meetings and focus groups. Additional information is available on the project website, linked above.

“Anyone who lives or works in New Jersey has been, or knows someone who has been, affected by flooding. The people familiar with this area understand its strengths, limitations, and needs and are uniquely capable of helping identify what neighborhoods and streets are most susceptible to flooding. We are eager for input to make sure this plan effectively and impactfully protects these communities,” said Carly Foster, project manager for Arcadis.

The Resilient Northeastern New Jersey project is expected to be completed in May 2022. The project will be conducted in waves to account for public input at every point in its development. Input from residents of flood-prone areas will be integrated into a risk assessment to evaluate future risks to critical infrastructure and valued community facilities, which will give residents and workers the opportunity to contemplate the potential impacts of future flooding on their communities. Results of the risk assessment and public feedback will be used to develop potential solutions for addressing identified risks. The final plan will delineate a path for implementation of these solutions in the future. Community members will be able to follow the project’s progress on the various channels available for engagement.

About Resilient Northeastern New Jersey

Resilient Northeastern New Jersey is a partnership between NJDEP, Jersey City, Newark, Hoboken, Bayonne, Hudson County, Ironbound Community Corporation, and HOPES Community Action Partnership, which is supported by a team of consultants led by Arcadis, including SCAPE Landscape Architecture, ONE Architecture & Urbanism, HGA, Sam Schwartz, InGroup, and Irys. The partnership aims to build upon ongoing resilience work and provide a clear roadmap for ensuring long-term social, environmental, and economic vitality by reducing flood risk. Resilient Northeastern New Jersey is a collaboration between local and state government, community organizations, the public, and other stakeholders. Additional information about the partnership and project can be found at www.resilient.nj.gov/nenj.