N.J. towns impacted by Superstorm Sandy can compete for flood mitigation grants

A New Jersey official has announced a grant competition for the municipalities in the nine counties most impacted by Superstorm Sandy for flood resiliency planning.

Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe says five regional teams will receive grants of up to to $200,000 each to improve resiliency under the Resilient NJ program.

The program seeks to identify and implement innovative regional solutions to address coastal and river-related flooding.

“It is critical that we apply what we’ve learned from Sandy to better plan for future storms and sea-level rise,” McCabe said.

Three contiguous municipalities (can cross borders) in Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties can form a team with at least one community-based organization. County governments, regional planning commissions, and utility authorities are also eligible.

Once the winning teams are chosen, they will be paired with a multidisciplinary consulting team to develop regional resilience and adaptation action plans for implementation.

Grant applications are due by Friday, July 20. For more information and application materials, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/oclup/resilientnj.