This innovative program, one of the first of its kind in the nation, is funding $24.3 million in projects to mitigate climate change by creating, restoring, and enhancing New Jersey’s green spaces and tree canopies in urban areas, saltwater marshes and forests.
Mill Hill Park is located on East Front Street and South Broad Street, Trenton. Parking for the event will be available around the park and additional parking will be provided in the DEP’s 401 building visitor lot located at 401 East State Street, Trenton.
Commissioner LaTourette will be joined by Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, DEP’s Office of Environmental Justice Director Kandyce Perry, New Jersey Conservation Foundation Co-Executive Director Jay Watson, and American Littoral Society Executive Director Tim Dillingham.
Grants are being awarded to various local governments and nonprofits and underscore the important role natural resources play in sequestering carbon to meet the state’s 2050 goal of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases below 2006 levels. Carbon sequestration refers to the process of capturing carbon dioxide from the air by plants through photosynthesis and storage of that carbon in woody biomass and in plant-derived soil organic carbon.
The projects are funded through New Jersey’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multi-state, market-based program that establishes a regional cap on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel power plants. For more information about the Natural Climate Solutions Grant Program, visit https://www.nj.gov/dep/climatechange/mitigation/ncs-grant.html.