The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative (NJCRC) co-hosted their first New Jersey Coastal and Climate Resilience Conference from March 12-14 at Monmouth University in West Long Branch. With a theme of “Adapting to Change – Creating Resilient Communities,” the event gathered 300 attendees and nearly 150 speakers for three days of wide-ranging discussions on the challenges facing the state’s diverse communities and coastal environments. Read Article Here.
On Wednesday March 13, NJBII lead facilitator Virginia Rettig (USFWS) and NJBII contributing government agency members Dave Golden (NJDEP), Genevieve Clifton and Scott Douglas (NJDOT) were awarded the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) Ocean Champion Award for their State, Coastal and Ocean Leadership. Congratulations to this standout team! Read more on the award here.
Photo courtesy of Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute. From l-r: Dave Golden, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; Virginia Rettig, Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge; Tony MacDonald, Urban Coast Institute; and Genevieve Clifton and Scott Douglas, New Jersey Department of Transportation.
On Thursday March 14, NJBII members presented a session on the New Jersey Bay Islands in a Coastal Ecosystem and Communities session. Five short presentations from Virginia Rettig (USFWS), Kimberly McKenna (Stockton CRC), Angela Anderson (LBT), Tom Herrington (UCI), and Nora Morton (MLT) showcased the regional and coordinated approach of NJBII to bay island restoration that addresses multiple resilience needs.