Stafford Plans For The Future With Climate Adaptation

STAFFORD, NJ — How does Stafford plan for the future? Current short-term and long-term plans and potential future ones were discussed in a recent Resilient Stafford Planning Workshop.

Township Administrator Matt Von Der Hayden explained the work the township has done already and its future plans to ensure that Stafford can be enjoyed by its residents for generations to come.

"How do we do it? A lot of good people," Von Der Hayden said, sharing that the plan endorsement is a joint project with the township along with the Army Corps of Engineers, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the state Department of Transportation and more.

Recently, Stafford was the recipient of a $20,000 grant from Sustainable Jersey for a Climate Adaptation Plan. This plan will "outline the vulnerability of the community and ways to improve resiliency against natural disasters caused by climate change," according to Sustainable Jersey.

Mapping tools will be used to determine sea level rise scenarios, and action plans will be created to address each one. The public's input will be important in this process, especially residents living in high-risk areas.

Von Der Hayden stressed that these changes are for the future and will not happen overnight. He also shared previous work the township has done and how it is benefitting the township, including drainage work in Ocean Acres where during flooding "we actually had cars floating down the road" and sewer replacement being worked on in Beach Haven West. These are projects that are currently being worked on and have been for the past few years.

The township also has several other planning initiatives involving damaged properties and watershed management.

Through a combination of efforts with Owens, Little and Associates, Inc., and engineering group Ramboll, Stafford is planning how to use the grant money to benefit the township. This includes an evaluation of wetlands restoration opportunities in and around the township, stormwater and floodwater assessment measures on roadways and identifying areas in need of redevelopment.

Stafford wants to take advantage of future grants and plan for resiliency in the township, Von Der Hayden said. "It's opening a door for the future," he said.

"This is the long-term part," Von Der Hayden said. "Ultimately, it's to make Stafford a better place in the future."

If you missed the presentation, you can watch it in its entirety here.