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Outside, Together!
New Jersey’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan

Outside, Together! Overview

Outside, Together! is a transformative initiative by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), culminating in Outside, Together! Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) for New Jersey. This strategic plan, also known as a SCORP, is for 2023-2027 and represents a collaborative effort to enhance outdoor recreation and conservation across New Jersey, focusing on improving residents’ quality of life through accessible and sustainable outdoor spaces.

Incorporating diverse insights from New Jersey’s communities and developed in partnership with the Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee, the SCORP 2023-2027 was officially approved by the National Park Service on March 1, 2024, and maintains New Jersey’s eligibility to receive funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service.

The SCORP outlines a comprehensive five-year strategy prioritizing expanding open space, enhancing environmental stewardship, advancing climate resilience, promoting equity, and leveraging innovative technology to create a sustainable and resilient environment. These shared principles reflect our recognition of the intrinsic value of New Jersey’s natural resources in boosting economic well-being, promoting physical and emotional health, addressing social inequalities, and nurturing community spirit.

The plan underscores NJDEP’s commitment to ensuring that all New Jerseyans have access to high-quality, close-to-home recreation and open space opportunities. We aim to build a stronger, more resilient, and equitable New Jersey by fostering partnerships, addressing challenges in land management, equity, funding, and technological innovation.

Outside, Together! Principles

Expanding high-quality open space and recreational opportunities for all New Jerseyans
Enhancing climate resilience and sustainability through acquisition and recreational development
Empowering communities through investment in ecotourism and outdoor recreation
Embracing the role of technology in conservation and outdoor recreation
Furthering equity and environmental justice through outdoor recreation
Continuing the commitment to stewardship and the conservation and restoration of biodiversity

Outside, Together! Objectives

Identify opportunities for expanding public access to recreation areas and facilities, and improving the user experience at existing recreation areas;
Educate the public about the importance, needs, benefits and availability of open space and outdoor recreation opportunities statewide;
Identify high value open space and recreational needs and opportunities with particular focus on better serving the health and wellness of residents in underserved or overburdened communities;
Enhance the focus on the economic benefits of preservation, including those associated with climate resilience and sustainability, ecotourism and biodiversity;
Identify necessary policy, regulatory and legislative actions to advance open space and outdoor recreation goals;
Fully engage the public and key partners to ensure an informed approach to outdoor recreation and conservation;
Encourage collaborative partnerships and programs to enhance open space and outdoor recreation at multiple levels of government; and
Satisfy the NPS requirements so New Jersey continues to qualify for Federal LWCF opportunities.

What is a SCORP?

Updated every five years, the Plan identifies statewide recreation needs and opportunities and sets forth a program to implement measures to address them which makes the State eligible for federal funding such as Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

This five-year Plan, known as Outside, Together! reflects deep public and stakeholder engagement. We involved individuals with diverse voices, experiences and viewpoints who engaged with DEP and its professionals to advance environmental, social, and economic goals. Additionally, this outreach effort informed our new funding policies and acquisition prioritization used by DEP programs: Green Acres, Fish and Wildlife, and Parks, Forestry & Historic Sites.

**History of Outside, Together!**

NJDEP’s Ongoing Efforts

Allamuchy Mountain State Park Expansion

DEP will be commemorating the acquisition of a 473-acre portion of the Mt. Allamuchy Scout Reservation on May 14, 2025 at the Earthworm Lot at Waterloo Village Historic Site. This remarkable addition to Allamuchy Mountain State Park not only enhances its natural beauty with forested areas, scenic views, wetlands, and streams but also enriches the recreational opportunities that were not previously available to the public. With 12 new trail segments totaling nearly 5 miles, visitors can now enjoy expanded access to an intricate network of trails. A map of the property can be viewed HERE.

NJ State Land Acquisition Strategy

DEP’s Green Acres Program created in 1961 helps preserve open space in the state of NJ to establish and expand our wonderful system of State Parks, Wildlife Management Areas, and Nature Preserves. In April 2025, DEP desires to accelerate the pace of land preservation by involving local governments in managing state-acquired properties along with launching a proactive marketing campaign to raise awareness among stakeholders about the benefits of selling or donating land to the state with an emphasis on fair market value and responsible stewardship.

Key strategic initiatives and methodologies:

Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ)
Expansion and Creation of Urban State Parks
Natural Carbon Sequestration

More information about the State Land Acquisition Strategy can be found HERE.

SCORP Approval

The National Park Services (NPS) has approved the SCORP (2023-2027) which can be viewed HERE.

Public Comment Period

The SCORP was finalized after an open public comment period from September 18, 2023, to October 18, 2023. DEP thanks all 722 commenters for their submissions, which were reviewed and addressed in the final SCORP.

Focus Groups

To ensure engagement was reflective of the state’s diverse demographics, on behalf of DEP, Trust for Public Land also facilitated a series of resident focus groups to better understand the perspectives of communities of color (specifically African American/Black and Hispanic/Latin American residents) in planning for parks and outdoor spaces. Four focus groups were conducted in March 2023 and total of 28 individuals participated to provide their perspectives.

Statewide Survey

DEP worked with the Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee, New Jersey State Office of Innovation, Trust for Public Land, and survey research firm Responsive Management to develop an online survey of 22 multiple choice and open-ended questions that asked respondents about their use of outdoor spaces, obstacles to visiting outdoor spaces, and preferences for outdoor space development and funding. The survey was administered online for four weeks in March 2023 and over 15,000 NJ residents responded.

Consulting

DEP also solicited for consulting services to assist the Outside, Together! Initiative with SCORP data analysis and community engagement. DEP had successfully applied for a SCORP Planning Grant that was awarded in September 2021. These matched grant funds allowed DEP to contract with Trust for Public Land (TPL) to help engage community members, especially those not traditionally engaged in outdoor recreation planning.

Advisory Committee

DEP opened a solicitation in May 2022 asking for outdoor recreation leaders to join an Advisory Committee to plan for the SCORP. A total of 25 individuals from various organizations joined together voluntarily to form the Committee, which represented stakeholders in outdoor recreation and conservation initiatives across New Jersey and, in Fall 2022, met with DEP in a series of meetings to discuss SCORP goals and ambitions. Together, DEP and the Advisory Committee evaluated current recreation resources; identified challenges, needs, and new opportunities for outdoor recreation improvements; and offered recommendations for policies, benchmarks, and actions to ensure a more equitable distribution of outdoor recreation and conservation funds and resources.

Administrative Order

While much progress has been made through past plans, DEP is committed to building on its past success and elevating our outdoor recreation and conservation planning efforts. To achieve this, the State of New Jersey required a more sophisticated Plan with original data that can serve as both a vision statement and guidance document for outdoor recreation and conservation endeavors. On April 22, 2022, Commissioner LaTourette signed Administrative Order 2022-12 which initiated the SCORP development process with the establishment of an Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee.