After Superstorm Sandy, most New Jersey communities were struggling with their immediate recovery efforts and were unable to consider the systemic changes necessary to enhance their long-term resilience. To assist them with their long-term resilience efforts, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Coastal Management Program (CMP) developed the Resilient Coastal Communities Initiative (RCCI) with a grant funded by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  EAC was one of several partners that worked collaboratively with the New Jersey CMP to provide coastal communities with planning assistance and technical support to enhance resilience and reduce their exposure to coastal hazards. Additionally, EAC assisted Monmouth University with development of a designed to examine the challenges to coastal resilience faced by New Jersey’s coastal communities and to identify policy needs and solutions to address those challenges.  The final report outlines important policy options to strengthen the ability of New Jersey coastal communities to prepare for and respond to changing coastal hazards.

Photo Credit:  Coastal Living