Did you know NJ know has a new Storm Water Utility Law?
New Jersey now has a Stormwater Utility Law, allowing municipalities to create stormwater utilities to better manage runoff, reduce flooding, and improve water quality. Often called a "rain tax," this law enables cities to charge fees based on how much stormwater a property generates, encouraging greener infrastructure like rain gardens and permeable pavement. Camden, with its combined sewer system, could benefit from these initiatives by reducing pollution and enhancing climate resilience. Stay informed and see how this law could impact your community.
Organizations like NJ Future are working to help communities understand and implement stormwater utilities, promoting sustainable solutions to reduce pollution and enhance climate resilience. With Camden’s combined sewer system, these efforts can make a big impact in preventing overflows and improving local waterways.
Want to learn more or get involved? Check out NJ Future’s resources on stormwater management!
https://stormwaterutilities.njfuture.org/what-is-a-stormwater-utility-2/
Workshop Recording
Sign up for a free online community health workshop. View the workshop recording below and access the workshop slides.
Instructor:
Richard Federman
Associate Teaching Professor @ Rowan University
37:39 video duration, 21-slide long slideshow
Description:
In this workshop, the concept of “greening is cleaning” is explored, and the importance of green spaces is illustrated. The goals and purpose of creating and preserving green spaces through initiatives, such as those conducted nearby in Camden, are detailed through a look into the science behind the environmental factors involved in greenery.
Key Takeaways:
- Factors such as the diversity of soil and the delicate balance of carbon are connected to why certain practices, such as green spaces, gardens, regenerative farming, and providing habitats, ensure a healthy, cleaner environment with more biodiversity. The importance of carbon is emphasized, and how it is the one thing that is essential to all life on Earth.
- Air quality and climate change are also connected to greening and how greenery makes the air cleaner as well as mitigates other environmental elements resulting from climate change. Many negative natural events are arising from the excess carbon in the atmosphere, such as severe weather events like flooding, hurricanes, prolonged droughts, heat waves, the rise of new epidemics and diseases, and other climate crises. Greening is a form of using space that is vacant and transforming it into green space that is more stimulating to the environment and the eye. For example, turning a runoff area into a garden.
- Greening is able to combat climate change and these other natural disasters that excess carbon has led to. A powerful form of greening is planting more trees, but it doesn’t pertain to just tree planting. Any form of green space can encourage reversing these harmful environmental effects.
Get Involved: Urban Gardening Opportunities in Camden!
Looking for a way to give back to your community while getting your hands in the dirt? Camden is home to a growing network of urban community gardens and there are plenty of opportunities for residents to volunteer, learn, and connect with others who are passionate about growing fresh food and greening the city. The following are just a few options located in the city:
🌿 VietLead’s Community Gardens – Volunteer at Resilient Roots Farm with VietLead to support culturally relevant food production, youth education, and food sovereignty efforts in Camden. It is located at 29th Street and Cramer Street in East Camden, New Jersey.
If you would like to volunteer at the garden, please fill out our volunteer form or contact thao.tran@vietlead.org
🌿 Neighborhood Collaborative Community Gardens (NCCG) – "Whether you've got a green thumb, are a curious seedling, a concerned citizen ready to "root" for change, just someone looking to bloom in a positive environment, or simply someone looking to plant the seeds of positivity, you've found your perfect spot at NCCG. Join us in "tilling" the soil for change from the ground up and together, let's cultivate a greener, more vibrant Camden City." Contact information: info@nccgardens.org 312-273-7653
🌿 Camden Urban Agriculture Collaborative & Camden Grows – "CUAC is committed to regenerative, just urban agriculture in Camden City. We are a collaboration of Camden residents, community gardeners & farmers, nonprofits, government agencies and social entrepreneurs involved in growing local, healthful produce." For more information, contact: tfeeney@ccmua.org or visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CamdenUAC/
🌿 Parkside Learning Garden & Camden Community Partnership Gardens – Right next to the world famous Donkey's Cheesesteaks this garden is operated by the neighborhood Community Development Corporation, Parkside Business & Community In Partnership. For more information contact them at: https://www.pbcip.org/contact
Photo credit: NCC Gardens North Camden NJ
Get Involved: AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors Program
The New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors Program is an environmental stewardship-oriented AmeriCorps program designed to raise awareness about water concerns. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has hosted the program since 2000, and while the program has evolved over the last 24 years, its main goals have remained the same: promote watershed stewardship through education and direct community involvement, and monitor the health of our waterways through conducting stream assessments.
For more information about the program, please contact Amanda Baksa,
Program Director, at amanda.baksa@dep.nj.gov or (609) 940-4822
Learn about Impervious Surfaces and Flooding Issues in your Community
Rowan University’s NJMAP has provided a one-stop resource for users to easily access the impervious surface, flooding, and parcel data for their own locality.
Click the map below to search impervious cover, flood hazard and hydrography maps.
