The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $875,000 in federal funding to the state of new jersey through the inflation reduction act

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $875,000 Cooperative Agreement to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) through the Office for Coastal Management (CFDA 11.473) program. This funding will be used to enhance the capacity of New Jersey's Coastal Management Program to support local governments in their efforts to undertake comprehensive climate resilience planning and implementation. Specifically, NJDEP will use the funds to hire two new planning staff members to work with the Office of Local Government Assistance. Their role will be to identify local governments most in need of assistance, especially overburdened and socially vulnerable communities, collaborate with them to increase understanding of climate change impacts, and support local climate resilience communication, education, and planning. This award is part of the federal government's broader efforts to support science-based coastal and estuarine habitat restoration, conservation, and resilience initiatives through the Office for Coastal Management program.

This funding will build the ability of new jerseys federally-approved coastal management program within the department of environmental protection to implement projects, initiatives, and programs that increase the climate resilience of coastal communities within coastal counties. Specifically, the department of environmental protection will use these funds to enhance the capacity of the new jersey coastal management program to support local governments in their effort to undertake comprehensive climate resilience planning including advancing implementation of actions that will reduce their risk to climate hazards. The CMP will hire two new planning staff members to work with deps office of local government assistance to identify local governments most at need for assistance, especially overburdened and socially vulnerable communities, collaborate with local governments to increase their understanding of how they will be impacted by climate change, and support local climate resilience communication, education, and planning.