New Jersey Awards Grant to Plant Trees, Hopes to Combat Urban Heat in EJ Communities

By NJ Spotlight News | January 25, 2023

New Jersey is investing in natural solutions to climate change, including by sequestering carbon. As part of those efforts, the state is awarding millions of dollars in grants to local communities so that they can plant more trees. Beyond beautifying neighborhoods, the aim is to contribute to cleaner air and boost environmental equity.

“Studies have shown that in some places across the country, neighborhoods that are lower-income and have more Black and brown residents can be up to 20 degrees hotter in the summer compared to wealthier neighbors with more green space. Years of disinvestment in our overburdened communities means that these populations are not able to access or enjoy all that the Garden State has to offer,” said Kandyce Perry, director of Office of Environmental Justice at the Department of Environmental Protection.

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