OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
RGGI NATURAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS GRANTS
Background
The Natural Climate Solutions Grant program will fund on-the-ground implementation of projects that create, restore, and enhance New Jersey’s natural carbon sinks, such as salt marshes, seagrass beds, forests, urban parks and woodlands, and street trees. Natural resources that sequester carbon play a critical role in meeting the State’s 2050 goal of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases below 2006 levels. Recognizing this, the DEP awarded up to $24.3 million dollars for blue and green carbon projects. This funding was made available due to New Jersey’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which provides the State with auction proceeds to invest in programs and projects designed to help meet its climate, clean energy, and equity goals.
Project Categories
Eligible grant applicants can submit projects that fall into one of the six categories below:
Living Shorelines
Living shorelines are a shoreline management practice that addresses the loss of vegetated shorelines, beaches, and habitat in the littoral zone by providing for the protection, restoration, or enhancement of these habitats. Eligible projects will focus on protecting the erosion of carbon rich soils in tidal wetlands.
Restoring Tidal Flows in Tidal Wetlands
Projects restoring tidal flow to wetlands have many benefits. Eligible projects will focus on increasing salinity to decrease methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) production. In some cases, restoring tidal flow may also target increased sedimentation and vegetation cover.
Tidal Salt Marsh Vegetation Restoration
Eligible projects will increase the cover of native salt marsh vegetation in brackish and salt water tidal wetlands to increase the carbon sequestration.
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Restoration
Eligible projects will increase the cover of native submerged aquatic vegetation in waters with salinity over 18 parts per thousand to increase carbon sequestration.
Forest Restoration
Eligible projects will establish or reestablish forest communities and reset carbon sequestration trajectories with resilient native vegetation. Such projects may occur in existing degraded forests or former agricultural fields or other deforested areas. Generally, a degraded forest is a forest that has lost its capacity to provide important functions and values to people and nature.
Urban Forest Canopy and Water Quality Enhancement
Eligible projects will establish and maintain trees and reduce impervious cover and stormwater runoff, while promoting ground water recharge, in urban areas. Urban land includes land with houses, buildings and pavement, and other areas that are essentially impervious to infiltration of rainfall.
Eligibility
Applicants eligible to apply for funding under this Notice of Funding Availability include:
- State, county, and local government units within New Jersey, including State government agencies or school boards;
- State universities and colleges;
- Interstate agencies of which New Jersey is a member;
- Private landowners owning property in New Jersey (note: private property project must provide matching funds);
- Local nonprofit organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code authorized to operation in the State of New Jersey.
Current Status
The first round of Natural Climate Solutions Grants were selected on January 18th, 2023. The DEP is currently in the process of funding the selected projects. To check the status of your application, please visit NJ Department of Environmental Protection System for Administering Grants Electronically (SAGE).
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Public Information Session Materials
Public Information Session Recording
NJDEP SAGE Demo
Public Information Session Slides
Questions?
For other questions related to the Natural Climate Solutions Grant program, contact us at NJRGGI@njdepwptest.net
