Project Categories

Living Shorelines Toggle

Living Shorelines

Living shorelines are a shoreline management practice that addresses the loss of vegetated shorelines, beaches, and habitat in the littoral zone by providing for the protection, restoration, or enhancement of these habitats. Eligible projects will focus on protecting the erosion of carbon rich soils in tidal wetlands.

Restoring Tidal Flows in Tidal Wetlands Toggle

Restoring Tidal Flows in Tidal Wetlands

Projects restoring tidal flow to wetlands have many benefits. Eligible projects will focus on increasing salinity to decrease methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) production. In some cases, restoring tidal flow may also target increased sedimentation and vegetation cover.

Tidal Salt Marsh Vegetation Restoration Toggle

Tidal Salt Marsh Vegetation Restoration

Eligible projects will increase the cover of native salt marsh vegetation in brackish and salt water tidal wetlands to increase the carbon sequestration.

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Restoration Toggle

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Restoration

Eligible projects will increase the cover of native submerged aquatic vegetation in waters with salinity over 18 parts per thousand to increase carbon sequestration.

Forest and Woodland Restoration Toggle

Forest and Woodland Restoration

Eligible projects will establish or reestablish forest communities and reset carbon sequestration trajectories with resilient native vegetation. Such projects may occur in existing degraded forests or former agricultural fields or other deforested areas. Generally, a degraded forest is a forest that has lost its capacity to provide important functions and values to people and nature.

Urban Forest Canopy and Water Quality Enhancement Toggle

Urban Forest Canopy and Water Quality Enhancement

Eligible projects will establish and maintain trees and reduce impervious cover and stormwater runoff, while promoting ground water recharge, in urban areas. Urban land includes land with houses, buildings and pavement, and other areas that are essentially impervious to infiltration of rainfall.

Eligibility

Applicants eligible to apply for funding under this Notice of Funding Availability included:

• State, county, and local government units within New Jersey, including State government agencies or school boards;
• New Jersey universities and colleges;
• Interstate agencies of which New Jersey is a member;
• Private landowners owning property in New Jersey (note: private property project must provide matching funds);
• Nonprofit organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code authorized to operation in the State of New Jersey.

Funding Breakdown

The NJDEP issued the NCS grant program to solicit applications for eligible projects for a 2022 grant funding cycle. Specifically, the NJDEP made available $15 million dollars for blue carbon and forestry grants utilizing auction proceeds from RGGI. Funding will be awarded as grants to eligible recipients to carry out targeted carbon sequestration projects. Blue carbon projects include living shorelines, restoring tidal wetlands, salt marsh vegetation and submerged aquatic vegetation. Green carbon projects include forest restoration and urban forest canopy projects.

Current Status

The application period closed on midnight September 16th. To check the status of your application, please visit NJ Department of Environmental Protection System for Administering Grants Electronically (SAGE).

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Questions? Contact us at NJRGGI@dep.nj.gov