Morristown Gets $31K To Combat Climate Change With Trees

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Places like Morristown play a pivotal role in fighting climate change, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The agency awarded the town a $31,000 grant to help create a sustainable urban forest.

Overall, the state will distribute 38 grants totaling $1.3 million to promote the stewardship of urban and community trees and forests throughout New Jersey. Seventy-five percent of the funds went to cities and towns with at least one "overburdened" community.

New Jersey's Environmental Justice Law — passed Sept. 18, 2020 — defines overburdened communities as any census block group — determined by the most recent United States census — in which:

• at least 35 percent of the households qualify as low-income
• at least 40 percent of the residents identify as minority or as members of a state-recognized tribal community
• at least 40 percent of the households have limited English proficiency, without an adult that speaks English “very well” according to the U.S. Census Bureau

"Advancing tree equity in New Jersey’s overburdened communities gives us the opportunity to address the three pillars of thriving communities: social, environmental and economic vitality," said Olivia Glenn, deputy commissioner for environmental justice. "From greenhouse gases to urban heat island effect, lack of tree canopy can compromise social, environmental and economic quality of life for some of New Jersey’s most vulnerable residents."

Morristown received a resilience-planning grant, which helps communities assess their current urban forest and provide critical data about its structure and composition. That data can better inform forest-management decisions to maximize ecological benefits, according to the DEP.

The other Morris County location to receive a grant was Riverdale, which will get $22,000. Funding for the grants comes from the "Treasure Our Trees" state license plate sales and the NJ Forest Service No Net Loss Compensatory Reforestation Program.

"Urban trees and forests are vitally important for the many benefits they provide to clean our air and water and to provide cool shade from increasingly warm temperatures," said DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. "Trees are also part of our daily lives. They uplift people, beautify neighborhoods, stand witness to important moments and improve communities."

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