34 New Jersey Towns Win Sustainable Jersey™ Grants; $220,000 Awarded for Sustainable Projects Funded by Walmart

Trenton, NJ – Today’s announcement by Sustainable Jersey — that $220,000 has been awarded through the Sustainable Jersey Small Grants program — was hailed as extremely good news by resource-strained towns across New Jersey. The 2010 Sustainable Jersey Small Grants Program funded by Walmart is providing grants to 34 local governments for sustainability projects.

This is the second year that Walmart has funded the grants program, bringing their total contribution over two years to $420,000.

“As a result of the success of this grant program last year, Walmart is proud to again sponsor the Sustainable Jersey Small Grants Program,” said Jennifer Hoehn, Walmart Senior Manager of Public Affairs for the state of New Jersey. “These grants are a perfect example of the public and private sectors working together for the greater good and there is no greater good than improving the environment.”

At a time when state funding for innovative ideas is constrained, the 14 winners of the $25,000 and $10,000 grants have proposed projects that provide sustainable solutions to everyday challenges. Wind turbines, electric vehicle charging stations, school food composting and water conservation outreach programs — all of these projects, and more, have been added to the list of initiatives that the Sustainable Jersey Small Grants program is funding. Most projects include public outreach campaigns and many will involve school children or community organizations.

$25,000 Grant Winners

Four $25,000 grants were awarded to Chatham Township, Long Branch City, Montclair Township, and Rutherford Borough.

$10,000 Grant Winners

Ten $10,000 grants were awarded to Bay Head Borough, Berkeley Heights Township, Bradley Beach Borough, Englewood City, Ewing Township, Galloway Township, Middletown Township, Ocean City, Tenafly Borough and West Orange Township.

$1,000 Capacity-Building Grant Winners

Twenty $1,000 capacity-building grants were awarded to Alloway Township, Chester Township, Franklin Lakes Borough, Haddon Heights Borough, Hammonton Town, Hardwick Township, Highlands Borough, Hopewell Valley, Livingston Township, Lower Alloways Creek Township, Lower Township, Maplewood Township, Mendham Township, Mount Holly Township, Mullica Township, Netcong Borough, Northfield City, Peapack-Gladstone Borough, River Vale Township and Roseland Borough.

The Sustainable Jersey grants are intended to help local governments make progress toward a sustainable future in general, and specifically in the Sustainable Jersey certification. More than half of New Jersey’s municipalities (51%, or 288 towns across all 21 counties) are registered and now working on becoming Sustainable Jersey certified.

“The impact that these projects will make in New Jersey is incredible,” said Fred Profeta, Jr., Chair of the New Jersey League of Municipalities’ Mayors’ Committee for a Green Future. “Funding green initiatives at the community level will have a ripple effect that will benefit us all.”

The grant funding has been an important incentive for towns pursuing sustainable projects and certification. Sustainable Jersey program partner Randall Solomon, of the Municipal Land Use Center at The College of New Jersey, congratulated the winning towns: “These communities will implement sustainability projects that will serve as practical models for the rest of State while making measurable contributions toward the long-term goal of a sustainable New Jersey.”

In applying for the grant, each municipality submitted a proposal describing their local sustainability initiative and how it would relate to the Sustainable Jersey actions. A total of 78 proposals were reviewed and scored by a neutral Blue Ribbon selection committee composed of uncompensated experts and public figures.

2010 Recipients of $25,000 Sustainable Jersey Project Grants

2010 Recipients of $10,000 Sustainable Jersey Project Grants

2010 Recipients of $1,000 Sustainable Jersey Capacity-Building Grants