Atlantic City Electric and Sustainable Jersey awarded $75,000 in grants last month, to 15 municipalities to support open space and resiliency projects in South Jersey. The awards were presented at a breakfast meeting held at the Hammonton Canoe Club.
The funding was made available through Atlantic City Electric’s Sustainable Communities Grant Program, which supports open space preservation, improvements to parks and recreation resources, environmental conservation, and innovative community resiliency projects.
Green teams in seven Atlantic County communities received awards, including Atlantic City, Egg Harbor City, Egg Harbor Township, Folsom, Hamilton Township, Northfield and Port Republic.
“We are so pleased to join our local communities and to help advance these initiatives that will have a lasting positive impact on our environment,” Atlantic City Electric Region President Doug Mokoid said in a news release.
Atlantic City Electric launched the Sustainable Communities Grant Program in 2020 with Sustainable Jersey administering the grants to local communities.
“As we experience the devastating effects of extreme weather and a changing climate on New Jersey communities, these grants support projects that build up local climate resilience and preserve our natural resources,” Sustainable Jersey Executive Director Randall Solomon said.
Atlantic County communities receiving awards are:
Atlantic City ($5,000) – to purchase native plants for Gardner’s Basin and recreate the historic Hydrangea Trail and to engage and inform residents about the area’s important horticultural impacts.
Egg Harbor City ($5,000) – to establish a nature trail and enhance recreation and appreciation of nature at Egg Harbor City Lake Park.
Egg Harbor Township ($5,000) – to build an ADA accessible pathway to a scenic observation area, providing everyone with safe access the Nature Reserve.
Folsom Borough ($5,000) – to redevelop the community garden by enhancing its appearance, installing park benches and planting shade trees.
Hamilton Township ($10,000) – to purchase and install a critical operations power system to effectively respond to emergencies throughout the township.
Northfield ($5,000) – clean up and redevelop the Racoon Lake area of Birch Grove Park and refurbish the existing fireplace.
Port Republic City ($2,000) – for upgrades and signage at Harry Bowen Park.
The Borough of Penns Grove, Elk, Washington, East Greenwich, Mantua, Maurice River, Lower and Dennis townships, also received $5,000 environmental stewardship grants.
The Sustainable Communities Grant program provides grants of up to $5,000 for projects focusing on open space preservation, improvements to parks and recreation resources and environmental conservation, and up to three grants totaling $25,000 to support resiliency projects.
Municipalities in the Atlantic City Electric service area can apply for a Sustainable Communities grant each year. A committee of representatives from Atlantic City Electric and Sustainable Jersey reviews each application and selects the projects to receive funding.
For more information on all funded projects, see www.sustainablejersey.com.
