Conference offers green solutions for New Jersey communities

NEW YORK — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Rutgers University Cooperative Extension are co-sponsoring the New Jersey Green Infrastructure Forum, July 31 at Duke Farms in Hillborough, N.J., to help communities learn how to utilize green infrastructure to manage stormwater and enhance treatment of sewage and better withstand storms like Hurricane Sandy. Experts at the conference will speak about practical issues such as how to finance projects and how to choose the best projects for a particular community.

The forum includes remarks from the EPA’s Regional Administrator, Judith A. Enck and Donna Drewes, the Co-Director of Sustainable Jersey and an address from Rutgers University Dean Robert Goodman. It will also include expert panel discussions featuring representatives from government agencies and key community groups.

"Green infrastructure makes both fiscal and environmental sense, especially given that communities need to start adapting to the growing effects of climate change," said Enck. “By learning how to implement the strategies that will be discussed at the New Jersey Green Infrastructure Forum, cities and towns throughout the state can greatly improve the way they manage stormwater and protect themselves against the more frequent and severe storms we are unfortunately likely to experience in the future.”

Discussions at the New Jersey Green Infrastructure Forum include:
•How to fund green infrastructure projects
•How to create or enhance green infrastructure
•A discussion of New Jersey municipalities’ needs in terms of stormwater management and green infrastructure
•How to incorporate environmental justice concerns and other community needs into green infrastructure plans

For information about the forum and to register, visit: https://epa.gov/region02/njgiforum.