Leaf Composting Grant Program

PURPOSE OF FUNDING 
The purpose of this grant funding is to promote stormwater management compliance at wood waste recycling and leaf composting facilities. This funding will be provided to assist public entities who are authorized to operate their facility(s) under NJDEP’s NJPDES Wood Waste Recycling and Leaf Composting Stormwater General Permit (WRC). This applies to public facilities where recycled tree branches, tree limbs, tree trunks, brush, and other wood waste that has not been chemically treated, glued, dyed, or painted are received, stored, processed, and transferred. Processing shall be limited to chipping, grinding, screening, and size reduction. The WRC permit further authorizes discharges from composting activities in which grass clippings, leaves, and wood chips (not chemically treated, glued, dyed, or painted) are received, stored, processed, and transferred. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE
August 1, 2025

SOURCE OF FUNDING
$1,350,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) 

STATUTORY CITATION
P.L. 117-1 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 2021, c.225 (S3618 1R) 
N.J.S.A. 13:1B-3, N.J.S.A. 13:1D-9, N.J.A.C. 7:14A 
 
WHO IS ELIGIBLE 
This opportunity is only open to public entities who are authorized to operate their facility(s) under a valid Wood Waste Recycling and Leaf Composting General Permit authorization or to public applicants who qualify for authorization to operate their facility(s) under the WRC permit and who apply to the Department for this permit authorization on or before August 1, 2025.  Applications for the WRC permit are available at https://njdepwptest.net/dwq/permitting_information/permits_application_forms_and_checklists/ – DST.  These applications must be returned to the address specified in the application instructions. 

GRANT LIMITATIONS 
The Department will distribute the available $1.35 million grant fund evenly among all qualified applicants.  Should additional money become available, it will be evenly distributed to those that applied, or an additional funding opportunity may be issued. 

Grant funding is limited to use on the following expenses: 

  1. Preparation of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SPPP) and Drainage Control Plan (DCP) in accordance with the NJPDES WRC General Permit. 
  2. Implementation of the SPPP and DCP. 
  3. After preparation and implementation of the DCP, any remaining funds may be spent on any activities related to compliance with the WRC NJPDES General Permit. 

Facilities that have already prepared and/or implemented their SPPP and DCP may seek reimbursement for costs associated with those activities.

Initial disbursement of funds will occur upon execution of grant agreement. All funds must be spent by the Grantee by September 1, 2026. Any funding received by a grantee that is not committed to payment of eligible project costs must be returned to the Department. Further, any costs that are not allowed by the Department must also be returned. The determination of eligible project costs is at the sole discretion of the Department. Distribution of funds is at the sole discretion of the Department. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Applications must be submitted via NJDEP SAGE within the period listed.

Grants for Wood Waste Recycling and Leaf Composting Stormwater (WRC) General Permit holders are formula-based grants, which are noncompetitive awards based upon a predetermined formula.

Specifically, the Department is making up to $1.35 million of ARP funding available to all public facilities who have either obtained or submitted an eligible application for a Wood Waste Recycling and Leaf Composting Stormwater (WRC) General Permit on or before August 1, 2025. Each facility will be eligible for an equal portion of the funding dependent upon how many facilities apply for this funding opportunity. Applicants for this grant opportunity must complete and submit the grant application through NJDEP SAGE after submittal of the WRC permit application noted above if they are not already authorized under the WRC permit, and must obtain an executed grant agreement from the Department to receive the initial disbursement of grant funds as stated below. Applicants must submit additional information, in the form of a SPPP and DCP, that meet the requirements of the WRC permit to receive the final disbursement of grant funds. Applicants who have already completed their SPPP and DCP are eligible for reimbursement of costs up to the amount of funding available to each grantee under this opportunity.

Any funding received by a grantee that is not committed to payment of eligible project costs must be returned to the Department. Further, any costs that are not allowed by the Department must also be returned. The determination of eligible project costs is at the sole discretion of the Department.

Any grant application materials submitted after this application deadline will not be accepted. Incomplete applications will be deemed ineligible. The Department’s Division of Watershed Protection and Restoration reserves the right to review and determine the eligibility of all requests for funding.

Distribution of funds is at the sole discretion of the Department. All unclaimed remaining funds will become part of future grant funding opportunities. Because funds will be distributed on a rolling basis, qualified facilities are encouraged to submit the required information as soon as possible. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Email: stormwatergrantsinfo@dep.nj.gov