Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Climate Resilience topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Interagency council on climate resilience outlines priorities, seeks municipal input
Summary
State resilience officials recapped a statewide strategy and scientific report, said the council represents 26 agencies, and asked stakeholders to prioritize funding, streamlined permitting, and nature-based solutions in a listening session and live poll.
State climate resilience officials told a virtual "lunch and learn" that they are using listening sessions and surveys to refine state priorities and asked local stakeholders for concrete input on funding and implementation. Bill McBride, manager for the Division of Environmental Resources at the New Jersey Department of Transportation, opened the session and said the NJ DOT chairs the outreach and engagement working group of the Interagency Council on Climate Resilience.
"Climate resilience isn't just a policy priority. It's a practical necessity that affects every community, business, and family in New Jersey," said Natalie Agustoion, deputy chief climate resilience officer, who summarized the council's work. She said the executive order that created the council directed development of two foundational reports: a scientific report on climate change released in 2020 and a climate change resilience strategy issued in October 2021.
The council, Agustoion said, includes 26 member agencies and the resilience strategy contains six priority areas and more than 125 recommendations to guide state policy, regulation, funding decisions and operational work. Officials emphasized that those recommendations range from statewide policy and planning to project-specific tools and community education.
Organizers used a live Slido poll and a short follow-up questionnaire to capture attendee priorities. Early results showed strong support for incentivizing nature-based solutions, streamlining permitting and funding processes, and expanding technical assistance to municipal and county governments. Officials said they will incorporate the feedback into ongoing IA work and follow up by email on unanswered questions.
The session closed with a reminder that recordings and notes will be shared with registrants and that the council continues to solicit written feedback via its listening-session survey.
