Through the efforts of The Rumson Environmental Commission, the Borough was awarded a $20,000 Sustainable Jersey grant funded by the PSEG Foundation. This grant will support The Rumson Environmental Commission and its plan to install and maintain green infrastructure demonstration gardens such as rain gardens and bioswales in three locations; Forrestdale School, Victory Park and Riverside Park. These demonstration gardens will help illustrate how our community can adopt planting techniques that help protect our beautiful rivers and other natural resources.
“The health of our environment has always been a focal point here in the Borough of Rumson,” Rumson Mayor Joseph K. Hemphill said. “Being surrounded by water on three sides, combined with the current challenges we face with water levels in many of our residential zones, it is a tremendous honor and great opportunity to be awarded the Sustainable Jersey Grant so that our Environmental Commission has the ability to not only brainstorm, but act upon projects that will benefit our environment for years to come. We thank Sustainable Jersey for this award and look forward to putting these funds to work.”
Proposals were evaluated by an independent Blue-Ribbon Selection Committee. The Sustainable Jersey grants are intended to help municipalities and schools make progress toward a sustainable future in general, and specifically toward Sustainable Jersey and Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification. Seven $20,000 grants, thirteen $10,000 grants and fifteen $2,000 grants were distributed to recipients across fifteen New Jersey counties. The grants awarded throughout the state will fund a range of projects including a mobile farmers market; a climate adaptation plan; rain gardens; environmental resource inventories; complete streets improvements; stormwater and flooding mitigation projects; outdoor classrooms; pollinator gardens and more.
“As we work to achieve a sustainable New Jersey, our organization understands how important it is to help municipalities and schools build on the progress they are making at the local level,” said Randall Solomon, Executive Director for Sustainable Jersey. “The Sustainable Jersey grants, funded by the PSEG Foundation, build capacity and help our communities take meaningful steps to face issues such as the climate crisis, a growing equity divide and environmental pollution. Congratulations to the municipalities, schools and districts that received grant funding.”
The PSEG Foundation has contributed $2.8 million dollars in funding to the Sustainable Jersey grants program for municipalities and schools. “The PSEG Foundation is committed to helping build sustainable and thriving communities by empowering and investing in the people, environment and infrastructure of the communities we serve,” said Calvin Ledford, PSEG director of Corporate Social Responsibility and president of the PSEG Foundation. “Supporting Sustainable Jersey and local municipalities, schools and school districts as they build sustainability programs puts resources where they’re needed to positively impact the environment and local communities, having a lasting impact on neighborhoods throughout New Jersey.”
About The Rumson Environmental Commission Our mission of The Rumson Environmental Commission is to work with the community to protect our unique natural resources. We educate our residents on what we can do to maintain and protect our land, water and air, facilitate the adoption of behaviors that will meet those ends, and motivate residents and local businesses to join in the effort.
About Sustainable Jersey Sustainable Jersey provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. As New Jersey faces issues such as the climate crisis, a growing equity divide and environmental pollution, municipalities want to be a part of the solution to these challenges. Sustainable Jersey participants (municipalities and schools) have successfully implemented and documented over 20,826 sustainability actions. Sustainable Jersey has provided over $6.8 million in grants to municipalities, school districts and schools for community-based projects that create healthy and sustainable communities in New Jersey.