Barnegat Bay Grants Will Not Save The Day

The DEP has announced $10 million in grants for local water-quality improvement projects in the Barnegat Bay watershed. The projects that will be implemented by nonprofit groups, local governments, and state colleges will primarily focus on reducing impacts from stormwater runoff within the 660-square-mile watershed. (See DEP advisory below)

“Barnegat Bay has serious pollution problems, and is rated one of the most threatened bays in the nation. These DEP grants will not do enough to clean up the water and protect the bay. Overdevelopment is turning he bay into the state’s largest stormwater basin. The state of New Jersey needs to come up with a comprehensive plan to stop overdevelopment and water pollution while restoring the bay. The state’s failure to deal with land use issues is making conditions worse. Overdevelopment and sprawl may cause the bay to die,” said Jeff TIttel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We must act more quickly and aggressively on reducing overdevelopment as well as cleanup. These grants are just a drop in the bucket, and it’s a small amount of money that does not take the place of having a comprehensive plan in the bay.”

The DEP grant money will be spread across 21 projects. Funding will go toward a variety of initiatives, including restoration of wetlands, stormwater infrastructure mapping, stormwater-basin retrofits, restoration of aquatic vegetation and shellfish, and protection of sensitive habitats.

“The administration is putting out small grants instead of putting out a real plan to clean up Barnegat Bay. The bay faces a wide range of threats that cause the bay to eutrophy, including pollution, overdevelopment and climate change. Protecting and restoring the bay requires a multifaceted process. We must limit development in certain areas and spend millions to retrofit storm basins. We also must work to restore watersheds, wetlands and streams, and preserve environmentally sensitive areas. We must limit impervious cover and pollution from homes and septic systems. We may have to treat stormwater and put in blue and green roofs,” said Tittel.

Gov. Christie’s environmental rollbacks and lack of urgency in addressing Barnegat Bay’s problems magnified the crisis in the bay. Christie-era rules have continued to encourage development around the bay that increase the stormwater runoff pollution pouring into the water.

“For years Gov. Christie was the single biggest impediment to cleaning up Barnegat Bay. He blocked Totl Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) legislation that limits pollutants in the bay until his final year in office. His 10-point cleanup plan for the bay did not address the biggest issues of land use and development. His rollbacks allowed for 23,000 more acres of sewer development around the bay. CAFRA rules continue to allow for high levels of impervious cover. Christie weakened stormwater and flood hazard protections, delayed water quality planning rules and allowed sewers into environmentally sensitive areas, all affecting Barnegat Bay,” said Tittel. “The Murphy administration has not come up with any plan to go forward with the TMDL or deal with stormwater pollution and overdevelopment.

Stormwater runoff carries pollutants into streams, rivers and bays that impact the ecological health of waterways. The 42-mile Barnegat Bay is shallow and narrow, making it particularly vulnerable to impacts from stormwater runoff pollution worsened by overdevelopment.

“The Barnegat Bay is enjoyed by thousands of people for recreation and tourism. On some weekends there are 100,000 boats on the bay. Pollution in Barnegat Bay threatens the $3.3 billion a year coastal tourism industry. Cleaning up the bay will take time and money. We need to enforce existing legislation dealing with land use, stormwater and impervious cover, as well as setting limits on pollution,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We need more than picking up litter and putting out small grants. We need swift, strong action to protect and clean up Barnegat Bay so that it can be enjoyed for future generations.”

IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                     Contact: Lawrence Hajna       (609) 984-1795

May 3, 2019                                                                             Caryn Shinske          (609) 292-2994

DEP AWARDS $10 MILLION IN GRANTS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN THE BARNEGAT BAY WATERSHED

(19/P32) TRENTON – The Department of Environmental Protection has awarded $10 million  in grants for local water-quality improvement projects in the Barnegat Bay watershed, an important ecological and economic resource for the state, Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today.

The  projects to be implemented by nonprofit groups, local governments, and state colleges and universities target ways to reduce impacts from stormwater runoff, also known as nonpoint source pollution. Although highly developed, the 660-square-mile watershed is rich in wildlife habitats that help drive the region’s economy.

“The restoration, enhancement, and protection of a healthy Barnegat Bay is a DEP priority,” Commissioner McCabe said. “Reducing the impacts of stormwater runoff is one of the biggest challenges we face in the Barnegat Bay watershed. We applaud these grant awardees for the passion they have for enhancing and protecting a natural resource that is truly a New Jersey treasure.”

Projects receiving funding include watershed restoration and protection planning, restoration of wetlands, creation of living shorelines, stewardship and education, stormwater infrastructure mapping, stormwater-basin retrofits, restoration of aquatic vegetation and shellfish, and protection of the bay’s most sensitive habitats. These projects are a key part of the state’s implementation of the Barnegat Bay Restoration, Enhancement and Protection Strategy.

Stormwater runoff carries pollutants into waterways, such as nutrients from fertilizers and animal waste. Excessive nutrients can cause algae blooms that impact the ecological health of waterways and diminish recreational enjoyment. Long, shallow and narrow, Barnegat Bay is particularly susceptible to this type of pollution.

Grant awards are as follows:

• Brick Township MUA, $950,000 for the design and installation of green infrastructure and nutrient reduction practices in the Metedeconk River watershed;
• The South Jersey Resource Conservation and Development Council, $325,000 for a stormwater basin retrofitting project in Lakewood Township;
• Rutgers University, $775,000 to develop a watershed restoration plan for southern Barnegat Bay, including Little Egg Harbor Tributaries;
• Barnegat Bay Partnership, $220,000 for a watershed restoration and protection plan for Cedar Creek;
• Barnegat Bay Partnership, $200,000 for a watershed restoration and protection plan for the Oyster Creek watershed;
• Barnegat Bay Partnership, $700,000 for a watershed restoration and protection plan for the Toms River watershed;
• ReClam the Bay, $30,000 for Barnegat Bay restoration and enhancement;
• The borough of South Toms River, $155,000 for the stabilization of the Crabbe Point Pier shoreline;
• The American Littoral Society, $1 million for a living shoreline and oyster reef project to improve water quality along Forked River Beach;
• Ocean County Planning Department, $3 million for a living shoreline restoration project at Cattus Island County Park;
• Tuckerton Borough, $350,000 for a living shorelines project at Tuckerton Beach;
• Barnegat Bay Partnership, $100,000 for a “Bay Friendly” stewardship program;
• Save Barnegat Bay, $100,000 for nonpoint source education for local government and municipal stormwater outreach;
• Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue Unit, $300,000 for sea nettle outreach and assistance;
• Lacey Township, $70,000 for stormwater mapping expansion;
• Point Pleasant Beach Borough, $30,000 for storm sewer mapping;
• Clean Ocean Action, $600,000 to identify and eliminate pathogens from sanitary sewage sources in the Toms River watershed;
• Montclair State University, $300,000 for restoration and enhancement of submerged aquatic vegetation in the bay;
• Stockton University, $225,000 for a project modeling restoration of submerged aquatic vegetation;
• Stockton University, $300,000 for creation of oyster reefs in the bay;
• Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, $270,000 for Barnegat Bay education and enforcement.

The DEP’s Water Quality Restoration grants are made possible through funds from the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act Section 319(h) program, Natural Resource Damage settlements the state has secured with polluters, and the state’s Corporate Business Tax. Additional funding for water quality projects is also available in low-interest and principal-forgiveness (grant-like) loans through the New Jersey Water Bank, administered by the DEP in partnership with New Jersey Water Infrastructure Bank.

The watershed encompasses all or parts of 37 municipalities in Ocean and Monmouth counties and is an important driver of tourism-related activities. The 42-mile long bay is renowned for its fish and shellfish resources, as well as for wildlife-related activities such as fishing, crabbing, bird-watching and exploring nature.

A study commissioned by the nonprofit Barnegat Bay Partnership estimates that the water, natural resources and ecosystems in the Barnegat Bay watershed contribute between $2 billion and $4 billion in annual economic value to the state.

More information about these projects can be found at www.state.nj.us/dep/wms/bears/npsrestgrants.html

For more information about the state’s Barnegat Bay restoration and enhancement efforts, visitwww.nj.gov/dep/barnegatbay/