Ridgewood one of 34 NJ Towns to Receive Grants for Community-Based Sustainability Projects

Trenton, NJ (March 12, 2014) –Today, Sustainable Jersey announced the 34 New Jersey towns that were selected for Sustainable Jersey Small Grants funded by the PSEG Foundation at Camden’s City Hall in Camden, New Jersey.  Since 2009, Sustainable Jersey has distributed approximately $1,375,000 in grants to New Jersey municipalities to help towns make their communities more livable, environmentally friendly and prosperous.

“Supporting municipalities as they do innovative sustainability projects is a cornerstone of our organization’s mission,” said Sustainable Jersey Board Chair Pam Mount. “These grants help ensure that important sustainability projects at the community level can get done. Congratulations to all the grant recipients.”

“PSEG is committed to being a steward of the environment and making meaningful contributions to the communities it serves,” said Ellen Lambert, president of the PSEG Foundation and director of Corporate Responsibility. “We are proud to support this program and to fund projects that will make life better in neighborhoods throughout New Jersey.”

The 12 towns that received the $20,000 and $10,000 grants proposed projects that provide sustainable solutions to everyday challenges. Organic curbside waste recycling, hawk habitat restoration, a commuter bike depot, rain gardens, community educational campaigns, sustainability ordinances and more have been added to the list of initiatives that the Sustainable Jersey Small Grants program is funding. New Jersey is the first state in the nation to have a comprehensive sustainability program for communities that links certification with strong state and private financial incentives, and a fully resourced program of technical support and training. Currently, 72 percent of New Jersey’s towns and cities (406 towns across all 21 counties) have registered to become Sustainable Jersey certified.

SUSTAINBLE JERSEY SMALL GRANTS RECIPIENTS:

Four $20,000 Grant Recipients: Camden, Lawrence, Linden and Montclair
Eight $10,000 Grant Recipients: Brick ($7,250), Ewing, Hammonton, Maplewood, Montville, Springfield, Stillwater and Winslow
Twenty-two $2,000 Capacity-Building Grant Recipients: Bordentown City,  Clinton, Evesham, Kearny, Kinnelon, Lebanon, Long Beach, Mahwah, Mansfield, Margate, Monroe, Moorestown ($750),  North Haledon, Ridgewood, Roosevelt, Seaside Park, Somerdale, Upper Township, Warren Township, Washington, Wayne and West Milford

Over 100 municipalities submitted proposals that were judged by an independent Blue Ribbon Selection Committee. The Sustainable Jersey grants are intended to help local governments make progress toward a sustainable future in general, and specifically toward Sustainable Jersey certification.

Recipients of $2,000 Sustainable Jersey Capacity-Building Grants

Bordentown City, Burlington County
Clinton, Hunterdon County
Evesham, Burlington County
Kearny, Hudson County
Kinnelon, Morris County
Lebanon, Hunterdon County
Long Beach , Ocean County
Mahwah, Bergen County
Mansfield, Warren County
Margate , Atlantic County
Monroe, Gloucester County
Moorestown, Burlington County ($750)
North Haledon, Passaic County
Ridgewood, Bergen County
Roosevelt, Monmouth County
Seaside Park, Ocean County
Somerdale, Camden County
Upper Township, Cape May County
Warren Township, Somerset County
Washington , Warren County
Wayne, Passaic
West Milford , Passaic