New Jersey Highlands Council

This Highlands Council currently has four active grant programs. Please Note: As required by the Highlands Act, all grantees will be required to submit a detailed scope of work that includes only deliverables that effect local or county regulatory changes or master planning initiatives.

Plan Conformance Grants
TDR Feasibility Grants
Agriculture Grants
Highlands Open Space Partnership Funding Program

Plan Conformance Grants

Overview: Plan Conformance Grants provide funding to support costs associated with Plan Conformance activities (i.e. engagement of professionals and staff in the development of required Plan Conformance components).

Eligibility: Municipalities in the Highlands Region, as defined by the Highlands Act (Planning or Preservation Area), that have submitted a duly-adopted Notice of Intent to petition Highlands Council in accordance with the Council’s Plan Conformance Guidelines.

Applications/Guidance:

Highlands Environmental and Economic Sustainability Grant Program
- Program description and application (pdf)
For municipalities preparing a petition for Plan Conformance:
- Plan Conformance Grant Program Overview (pdf)
- Plan Conformance Grant Program Application (.doc)
For municipalities with approved petitions working on Module updates related to March 10, 2015 NJ Supreme Court decision:
- Guidance for Updates to Modules 2, 3 and 7 - August 2015 (pdf)
  - Module 2 Update Instructions (pdf)

Contact: Herbert S. August, Manager of Grants Administration, (908) 879-6737 or herbert.august@highlands.nj.gov.

An overview of plan conformance grant expenditures to-date is available here.

TDR Feasibility Grants

Overview: TDR Feasibility Grants provide financial and technical support to municipalities interested in exploring the possibility of designating a TDR receiving zone in their community. Participation in this 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. Additional information is available via the link below.

Highlands TDR Receiving Zone Feasibility Grant Information (pdf)

Eligibility: Any municipality in the State of New Jersey.

Contact: Herbert S. August, Manager of Grants Administration, (908) 879-6737 or herbert.august@highlands.nj.gov.

Agriculture Grants

Overview: Agriculture Grants provide funding to support sustainable agriculture within the frame work of protecting the Highlands Region’s valuable and limited water supply. This funding stream is focused on three program areas: 1) integrated crop management, 2) Market Development/Niche Crops, and 3) County Agriculture Development Board (CADB) Capacity Building/Land Preservation.

Eligibility: Municipalities or Counties in the Highlands Region, as defined by the Highlands Act (Planning or Preservation Area) and participating in the Plan Conformance Grant Program.

Contact: Herbert S. August, Manager of Grants Administration, (908) 879-6737 or herbert.august@highlands.nj.gov.

Highlands Open Space Partnership Funding Program

Overview: This program is administered under the provisions of N.J.A.C. 7:70, Highlands Open Space Partnership Funding Program and Highlands Development Credit Purchase Program.

The Highlands Open Space Partnership Funding program is a matching grant program designed to support the acquisition of property for the protection of resources within the Highlands Region, and to further the goals of landowner equity as specified in the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act of 2004 and the Highlands Regional Master Plan.

The Highlands Council shall provide a maximum grant award of 50% of the total purchase price of the property. Applications will be considered for acquisition of property in fee simple or through conservation easements for any passive recreation or conservation purposes. See program details below for complete information.

Eligibility: State agencies, Highlands county or municipal governments, and charitable conservancies are eligible to apply.

Application: Highlands Open Space Partnership Funding Program (pdf)
Current application deadline: June 30, 2020

Contact: James Humphries, Director of Planning and Science, (908) 879-6737 or james.humphries@highlands.nj.gov