January 29, 2025

This past week, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) formally approved the funding agreement for $3.5M in Blue Acres buyout funding for five specific properties located along the Orchard Brook, a tributary of the Rahway River, in Cranford Township. This funding comes in response to a declaration of watershed impairment and property damages sustained in 2021 as a result of Hurricane Ida. This buyout project is 100% federally funded. Prior to the full, formal approval of NRCS buyout funds, this new partnership between NRCS EWP and the State of NJ was announced by NJ DEP and covered by national and local media outlets.

The five participating homeowners have been informed of the approval, and individually, they are actively working with a Blue Acres case manager. Homeowners awaiting buyout funding opportunities, can be assured that Blue Acres will provide timely updates to them as new information becomes available.

With NRCS EWP buyout funds, Blue Acres will acquire the homes from cooperating residents, remove the homes and structures from the flood hazard area. The flood prone area will be stabilized and revegetated to provide natural flood storage benefits and the restoration may include some passive recreation, and enhanced wildlife habitat. Conservation practices including obstruction removal, brush management, tree and shrub site prep, tree and shrub establishment, critical area planting and mulching will be utilized to achieve these objectives.

On January 27, 2025, Blue Acres hosted a community engagement meeting with the Township of Cranford and the County of Union at the Cranford Community Center. The goal of the meeting was to inform community members of the voluntary buyout project and other flood mitigation projects taking place nearby such as the County’s culvert project. Meeting attendees were able to ask questions about the different projects and sign up to receive updates, including future opportunities to provide input on post-buyout land use.  You can view a copy of the Blue Acres presentation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers the EWP to assist project sponsors in protecting lives and property from flooding or soil erosion after a natural disaster. In communities impacted by constant flooding or severe erosion due to a natural disaster, a property buyout might be the best solution.

Blue Acres is a voluntary buyout program that only works with willing sellers. The buyout process remains fully voluntary from the initial expression of interest in a buyout to the date of closing. As part of NJDEP’s Office of Climate Resilience, Blue Acres plays an integral part of advancing the State of New Jersey’s Climate Change Resilience Strategy.