Take the five-minute resource provider survey.
More than one year after the destruction of Hurricane Sandy, New Jersey municipalities still struggle with the storm’s damage and the preparation they should be doing to make their communities more resilient.
New Jersey is fortunate to have some of the most cutting-edge, world class non-profits, universities and public and private organizations in the country. Many of these organizations have played a critically important role in assisting communities with Sandy recovery and resiliency. And many more can.
Facilitated by Sustainable Jersey, the NJ Resiliency Network is working to identify and connect resources to the towns that need them. For example, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) is providing municipalities with the next step in planning for the risks associated with coastal hazards and sea level rise. Its “Getting to Resilience” is an online assessment that gets communities to visualize their future risks and plan for those risks using their existing municipal planning tools.
We know there are more resources like the Getting to Resilience assessment that towns need. Resources come in all shapes and sizes – examples include, but are not limited to:
- Model ordinances, easements, or design guidelines
- Financial loans or grants
- Assistance with grant writing or public financing
- Technical assistance (includes everything from a one-time consultation to multiple, ongoing meetings)
- Design workshops or public engagements
Can your organization help communities with Sandy recovery?
Through the NJ Resiliency Network, the resources you can share – however small or large – will help communities move closer to resiliency. Please take the NJ Resiliency Network resource survey so we can learn about your organization and the type of resources you may be able to contribute. Completing the survey does not commit you to providing any resources. After the survey is received, you will be contacted to discuss how the program works and confirm your contributions and level of involvement. Click the box to begin the survey:
The NJ Resiliency Network is joined by the New Jersey League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Rutgers University, NJ Future and others in providing communities with direct access to technical and financial resources for long-term recovery and resiliency planning.
The NJ Resiliency Network staff works closely with community officials to understand their needs and provide both direct assistance and connections to resources provided by other organizations. Depending upon the type of resource an organization provides, Network staff will offer it to the communities or the resource provider can present it. For example, if the resource is a model ordinance, it’s easy for the NJ Resiliency Network to provide it to the communities. But if an organization is offering to host a community design workshop, it may make more sense for the organization to take the lead. In either case, the NJ Resiliency Network will orchestrate the process and assist both the local officials and resource providers. If you have questions, please contact Linda Weber at info@njresiliency.com.
Image provided by Sustainable Jersey
Sustainable Jersey staff and partners are regular contributors to the Dodge blog.