The Rise to Resilience coalition applauds two major wins this week and thanks its partners and elected officials for their leadership. The first, inclusion of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) by the Senate, with bipartisan support as part of the larger Covid-19 relief and appropriations package expected to pass today, marks a major win for Congress and the coalition in their fight to build resilience to climate change in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan region. And the second, the passage of an amendment to land use law in New Jersey, would require resilience to be considered in municipal master plans, seen as a major win for proactive approaches at the local level in the state.
The passage of WRDA will authorize $9.9 billion in federal funds for 46 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) flood control, environmental restoration, coastal protection, and other projects, will bring jobs, coastal risk reduction, and nature’s benefits to the metropolitan region at a time when a resilient recovery is needed more than ever. More than $400 million will be authorized for habitat restoration in the New York-New Jersey region, and reforms will be made to coastal risk projects including the New York New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Study. The Rise to Resilience coalition worked with Congress to introduce legislation and ensure these projects and changes were included in the Act, including expansions to better address sea level rise and local climate projections, and engage impacted communities
Read our full media statement.
The second win for the coalition occurred in New Jersey, where the State Assembly fully passed Assembly Bill 2785 (equivalent to Senate Bill 2607), which requires the land use plan element of municipal master plans to include a climate change-related hazard vulnerability assessment. This type of forward-looking land use planning is critical to keeping New Jersey’s residents, businesses, and the local environment safe and thriving, and ensures that municipalities are considering long-term vulnerabilities and hazards when developing plans.
“We are thrilled that the Assembly passed this important legislation to ensure our cities and towns are planning for future climate hazards, and we are hopeful that Governor Murphy will sign the bill into law early in 2021,” said Missy Rebovich, Director of Government & Public Affairs, New Jersey Future. “This is a huge win, not only for climate advocates, but also for the families and businesses impacted by climate change now and in the future.”
Image Credit: Photo by Michael Berkowitz on Unsplash
