The Highlands Act creates a framework for regional planning as a means to protect the important natural resources in the Highlands and will complement and strengthen the land use planning efforts of municipalities and counties.  After the adoption of the Regional Master Plan (“RMP”), municipalities and counties will have the opportunity to revise and conform their local master plans and development regulations to the goals, requirements and provisions in the RMP.  This process will provide strategic opportunities for communities to consider the cumulative and regional impacts in local land use decision making.  Accordingly, municipalities and counties are crucial stakeholders to the success of the Highlands Act. 

There are 88 municipalities and portions of seven counties in the Highlands Region.  Of these 88 municipalities, 5 are entirely in the Preservation Area, 36 are entirely in the Planning Area, and the remaining 47 communities are in both areas.  In order to achieve a regional approach to land use planning, the Highlands Act provides benefits and incentives (including planning grants, legal protection, and State funding prioritization) which are available to counties and municipalities that conform to the RMP.  Planning Area municipalities and counties that voluntarily conform to the RMP are eligible for the some benefits and incentives created for the Preservation Area.

Existing Grant Programs

The Highlands Council has an active grants program by which it provides funds for projects that promote the goals of the Highlands Act or further the Regional Master Plan.   

The Highlands Council has approved approximately $12.7 million in funds for Municipal Partnership Pilot Projects, COAH Planning, County Zoning and Parcel Analysis, County Digital Elevation Analysis, County Wastewater Capacity Analysis, County Approved Project Analysis, Sustainable Agriculture, Transfer of Development Rights Feasibility, Initial Assessment and Plan Conformance grants.

To date, the Highlands Council has allocated funding for the following grant categories:

Grant Category

Grant Funds Approved

Municipal Partnership Pilot Projects (MP³)

 $450,000

COAH Planning

 $600,000

County Zoning & Parcel Analysis

 $250,000

County Digital Elevation Analysis

 $250,000

County Wastewater Capacity Analysis

 $250,000

County Approved Project Analysis

 $400,000

Sustainable Agriculture

 $450,000

TDR Feasibility

$1,000,000

Initial Assessment

$1,500,000

Plan Conformance

$7,500,000

Open Grant Programs

The Highlands Council is currently accepting applications for five categories of grants: COAH Planning Grants, Agriculture Grants, Initial Assessment Grants, TDR Feasibility Grants, and Plan Conformance grants.

The application for grant programs can be found here: Application (MS-Word document)

Municipalities and counties interested in the Highlands Council’s existing grant programs should contact Herbert S. August, Manager of Grants Administration, at (908) 879-6737 or at grants@highlands.state.nj.us.

Plan Conformance Grants

Municipalities in blue have filed a Notice of Intent to conform to the Highlands Regional Master Plan; click for larger map

The purpose of the 2009 Plan Conformance Grant Program for Highlands Municipalities is to fund municipal Plan Conformance activities for lands within the Preservation Area where conformance is mandatory, as well as in the Planning Area where conformance is voluntary. These grants will allow municipalities to engage their professionals and staff to address Plan Conformance requirements. The Highlands Council has authorized a maximum allocation of $7.5 million for the 2009 Plan Conformance Grant Program, with individual grant allocations not to exceed $100,000 for any municipality. This grant program will focus initially on supporting the development of petitions for Plan Conformance using the requirements for Basic Plan Conformance.

Initial Assessment Grants

The Initial Assessment Grant program will fund preliminary municipal and county Plan Conformance activities for lands within the Preservation Area where conformance is mandatory, as well as in the Planning Area where Plan Conformance is voluntary. These grants will allow local jurisdictions to engage their professionals to assess the requirements and benefits of Plan Conformance. For 2008, the Highlands Council has allocated $1.5 million for the Initial Assessment Grant Program.

TDR Feasibility

In support of the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program, the Council has developed a TDR Receiving Zone Feasibility Grant Program that will provide both financial and technical assistance to those municipalities that wish to explore the possibility of designating a TDR receiving zone in their community. Eligible municipalities, which need not be within the Highlands Region but must be in one of the seven Highlands counties (Bergen, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Warren), will receive both financial support and technical assistance from the Council. Participation in the grant program requires a commitment by a municipality to fully evaluate the feasibility and desirability of designating a receiving zone, but does not obligate a municipality to establish such a zone.  To date, three municipalities have been awarded grants under the program while several others are currently preparing applications.

COAH Grants

These grants provide funding to assist municipalities in developing local master plan housing elements for submittal to COAH in order to obtain substantive certification and complete third round COAH submissions. Grants are also available to municipalities that have yet to receive COAH substantive certification to assist municipalities in addressing affordable housing obligations. Municipalities that have already received a COAH grant from the Highlands Council are ineligible to reapply at this time.

Agriculture

Highlands Region municipalities and counties can apply for Sustainable Agriculture Grants newly available through the work of the Highlands Council.  The available pool for this round of funding is $450,000.

The grant program is designed to promote sustainable agriculture within the frame work of protecting the Highlands Region’s valuable and limited water supply.  The agricultural grants will concentrate on assisting the agriculture community by funding programs focusing in three areas: 1) integrated crop management, 2) market development, and 3) farmland preservation.

Each of the eighty-eight Highlands municipalities, seven Highlands counties and County Agriculture Development Boards are eligible to submit applications.