New Jersey has a program called Blue Acres, started in 1995, which to date has used more than $234 million in federal and state funds to pay fair market value to purchase homes in flood-prone areas. The properties are returned to permanent open space, which can better absorb rainwater than man-made surfaces such as concrete, asphalt, and buildings.
The town of Manville, New Jersey, located about 25 miles southwest of Newark, has long been known for getting swamped by tropical storms, nor’easters, and even just strong rains. About 120 homes in the town of 11,000 people have been sold to the state over the past decade. Another 53 buyouts are underway. Overall, some 1,200 New Jersey properties have been acquired by the state under the Blue Acres program.
Sea level has risen about 1.5 feet along the New Jersey coast in the last 100 years, which is more than twice the global rate. A recent study by Rutgers University predicts a likely increase between 2.2 and 3.8 feet by 2100, if the current level of global carbon emissions continues.
Buyouts are an increasingly important tool for dealing with climate-related flooding. However, a recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund warns that communities are likely to need to find new ways to pay for such initiatives because the Trump Administration continues to cut government programs, particularly those that address issues created by climate change.
