After last week’s relentless downpours from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, which brought high winds and widespread street flooding, the formal release of the NJ REAL (Resilient Environments and Landscapes) Rules couldn’t have come at a better time. Directed by Governor Phil Murphy’s Executive Order 100 in January 2020 as part of the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats (NJPACT) initiative, these rules are a game-changer for the state. The NJ REAL Rules were officially published by the New Jersey DEP on August 5th, more than two years after their original target release date. REAL is a package of crucial revisions to key state regulations designed to make New Jersey more resilient to the devastating impacts of climate change. These revisions will update the state's outdated land use, stormwater management, and wetlands regulations to reflect New Jersey's new reality: warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, and stronger, more frequent downpours.
Championing a Statewide Agenda for Protecting and Restoring Pennsylvania’s Waterways
Mapping New Jersey’s Water Infrastructure Inequities
From flooding near rivers, rising sea levels, and the presence of lead and other contaminants in drinking water, communities across the Delaware River Watershed face many water-related risks. Depending on where they live, these issues impact community members differently. The New Jersey Water Risk and Equity Map contains information to help residents, advocates, and policymakers understand water-related risks in their communities and address inequities.
Unified Voices for Change: PennFuture, CDRW and Choose Clean Water Coalition's Joint Effort in Enhancing PA Department of Environmental Protection's Environmental Justice Policy
In November, PennFuture, CDRW and the Choose Clean Water coalition, who works primarily in the Chesapeake, collaborated to draft and submit a joint coalition sign on letter commenting on updates to the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) interim final Environmental Justice Policy The formal public comment period closed on November 30, 2023, and now DEP is working on a comment-response document for comments received during this period.
A Conservation Blueprint for NY’s Neversink River
Coalition Partners Oppose the Diversion of Game Commission Funds Proposed in PA Budget Bill
Pennsylvania's state budget is more than two months overdue. The House is not expected to return to session until September 26, which is when they will review House Bill 1300 - the fiscal code bill passed by the Senate earlier this summer. Unfortunately, as currently written, HB 1300 proposes to transfer $150 million in funding from the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to the Clean Streams Fund (CSF) for fiscal year 2023-24.
Congressman Tom Kean Jr. Joins Environmental Organizations for Lake Hopatcong Tour, Celebrates Investments in Water Quality, Habitat Restoration, and Recreational Access
Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey — Congressman Tom Kean Jr. (NJ-7) joined the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, Musconetcong Watershed Association, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) today for a boat tour of Lake Hopatcong in Morris and Sussex Counties, New Jersey, to showcase the crucial federal and state investments in environmental restoration that are currently underway in Congressman Kean’s district. Lake Hopatcong is a headwater to the Musconetcong River, which is New Jersey's largest tributary to the Delaware River.
Making the Case for Clean Water in Pennsylvania
Collaborating with the Choose Clean Water Coalition (Chesapeake Bay Watershed) and policy leadership in the Lake Erie Watershed, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed partnered on the 7th annual Clean Water Education Week to provide valuable opportunities to educate lawmakers about Pennsylvania’s precious waterways, reminding them of the importance of investing in clean water.