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New Jersey Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) Rules
January 20, 2026
New Jersey’s Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) rules, adopted in January 2026, represent a landmark regulatory reform effort by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to better account for climate change and future conditions in development and environmental protection.
Related Organizations: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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Exceeding Minimum Standards for Local Floodplain Ordinances: 11 Examples
October 31, 2025
Georgetown Climate Center studied local ordinance-centered approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and identifying and reducing climate-driven flood risk in an October 2025 report, “Local Ordinances for Climate Adaptation & Mitigation. ” As part of that project, GCC’s research identified 11 ordinances from Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, and New Jersey that represent some of the best uses of local ordinances to advance climate adaptation and protect people and property.
Related Organizations: Georgetown Climate Center
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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State Chief Resilience Officers: Establishment, Authority & Governance
February 3, 2025
As the human and financial toll of the climate crisis continues to climb, a growing number of jurisdictions are establishing a new role – the Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) – to lead pre-disaster planning and risk reduction efforts to build resilience to climate-fueled hazards. Released by the Georgetown Climate Center, State Chief Resilience Officers: Establishment, Authority & Governance explores the position and functioning of Chief Resilience Officers across 12 states and provides recommendations for states considering creating a CRO position.
Related Organizations: Georgetown Climate Center
Author or Affiliated User: joshua saks
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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New Jersey Inland Flood Protection Rule
July 1st 2023
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection adopted a new rule created to better respond to increased flooding due to climate change. The new Inland Flood Protection rule updates rainfall data, which was previously calculated only through 1999, and accounts for future climate conditions in design requirements for new and reconstructed investments in high-risk areas. The new rule, initially proposed by DEP in December 2022, was filed in June 2023 and effective July 2023. The impetus for changing the rule was in response to the effects of Tropical Storm Ida in 2021.
Related Organizations: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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Woodbury, New Jersey: Ordinance No. 2386.23 - Freeboard Regulations
May 15, 2023
In a bid to promote public health and safety while also limiting flood-related losses, the City of Woodbury, New Jersey, passed Ordinance no. 2386.23, which introduces regulations for development in flood hazard areas. Most notably, the ordinance establishes additional freeboard for critical facilities, and directly points to the authority of the American Society of Civil Engineers in its standard for Flood Resistant Design and Construction (ASCE 24) as the explanation for doing so.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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Borough of Avalon, New Jersey: Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
2022
The Borough of Avalon, New Jersey updated their Floodplain Ordinance in 2022 by passing Ord. No. 849-2022, incorporating expanded areas subject to regulation and heightened standards designed to better ensure flood protection of structures.
Related Organizations: Borough of Avalon
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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New Jersey Climate Change Resilience Strategy and Coastal Resilience Strategy
October 12, 2021
In October 2021, New Jersey released its statewide Climate Change Resilience Strategy (Strategy), which also includes a Coastal Resilience Strategy. It is the state’s first example of both a statewide climate adaptation plan and a comprehensive coastal resilience plan. Both were required by Executive Order No. 89 in 2019. New Jersey has been affected by climate change-driven impacts, such as flooding events, storms, rising sea levels, and increasing temperatures. The state developed the Strategy to address these impacts.
Related Organizations: State of New Jersey
Resource Category: Planning
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New Jersey Senate Bill (SB) 2607: Requiring land use plan element of municipal master plan to include climate change-related hazard vulnerability assessment
February 4, 2021
On February 4, 2021, New Jersey enacted Senate Bill (SB) 2607 amending the required components for municipal master plans in New Jersey to incorporate climate change risks and adaptation strategies. Specifically, the land use element of any master plan adopted after the bill’s passage must include a climate change and extreme weather vulnerability assessment as well as natural hazard mitigation strategies.
Related Organizations: State of New Jersey
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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New Jersey Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) Program
In 1971, New Jersey implemented the Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) Program. Through this program, the state pays municipalities to protect and conserve open, undeveloped lands owned by the state and tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. This program was created to benefit environmental quality, quality of life, and economic health in New Jersey by conserving open space for natural resources and recreational purposes. While this program has been amended throughout its tenure, it is a noteworthy example of a state program that creates incentives for local governments to create open space by mitigating the impacts of lost tax revenue and land maintenance costs. In a managed retreat context, a similar program could be coupled with hazard mitigation buyouts and open space acquisitions to encourage local governments to conserve vulnerable properties impacted by sea-level rise and flooding.
Related Organizations: State of New Jersey
Resource Category: Funding
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Managing the Retreat from Rising Seas — Woodbridge Township, New Jersey: Post-Hurricane Sandy Buyouts
July 15, 2020
Woodbridge Township, New Jersey is working with the New Jersey Blue Acres Program to implement a neighborhood-wide buyout that can serve as an example for other jurisdictions considering larger-scale retreat from coastal areas. Following significant damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Woodbridge applied to participate in the New Jersey Blue Acres Buyout Program. With the support of the state, local elected officials in Woodbridge, including the mayor, committed to a community-based approach and prioritized flood mitigation and future safety and emergency management benefits over potential tax base losses if residents relocated outside of the township. As a result of this approach and an extensive community engagement process, nearly 200 property owners accepted a buyout offer. Once structures are demolished, the township is restoring bought-out land to create a natural flood buffer. The township established an Open Space Conservation/Resiliency Zone to institutionalize protections for this area by prohibiting new development and discouraging redevelopment. Woodbridge’s example demonstrates how comprehensive, community-based approaches to buyouts can maximize long-term benefits for communities and the environment. Other local governments can consider partnering with their states and residents, among others, to use buyouts as a retreat strategy to make communities more resilient. This case study is one of 17 case studies featured in a report written by the Georgetown Climate Center, Managing the Retreat from Rising Seas: Lessons and Tools from 17 Case Studies.
Resource Category: Solutions
