Somerset County/Sustainable Jersey Green Leadership Initiative Non-Profit Partner Initiatives and Opportunities
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
`` Somerset County/Sustainable Jersey Green Leadership Initiative Non-profit Partner Initiatives and Opportunities BACKGROUND & INSTRUCTIONS: The Somerset County Planning Division supports municipal efforts to achieve Sustainable Jersey Certification goals. It also recognizes the numerous initiatives underway by its partner organizations, specifically nonprofit entities that are working through and developing sustainability programs at the ground level. Earning certification through the Sustainable Jersey is a very difficult, but rewarding and impactful process. Municipalities must earn at least 150 points to be certified at the Bronze level. It is the County’s goal to assist its municipalities in obtaining these points by highlighting areas where the County and its partners can offer assistance through existing programs and initiatives. This process will help municipalities reach its goal quickly and in a more cost-effective manner, while advancing countywide quality of life and sustainability goals. To date, 18 of our 21 Somerset County municipalities are registered in the Sustainable Jersey Program; with 9 achieving bronze level certification and 1 (Bernards Township) achieving silver level. Below is a menu of Actions for Certification, available to municipalities through the Sustainable Jersey Program. Sustainable Jersey Actions are denoted as in the below menu, and corresponding existing/underway Nonprofit Action Items are listed below each heading. County Planning Division Staff has added Action Items in certain areas as examples, but are relying on your help to identify the remaining Action Items underway by your organization. Please review the existing Action Items relevant to your organization and verify that they are correct. Please add your organization’s initiatives and programs that are currently underway and align with Sustainable Jersey’s Actions. Corrections and additions can be made directly to this document using MS Word’s “Track Change” Tool. If there is an Action Item that has not been properly paired with a Sustainable Jersey Action, please list it in the proper location. The County Partners’ version of this Inventory has been attached for your reference. For clarification on Sustainable Jersey’s Certification Process and Actions, please visit Sustainable Jersey’s Action Items Menu at http://www.sustainablejersey.com/actions- certification/actions/#close or contact Tara Kenyon, Principal Planner at [email protected]. This information will be shared at a Somerset County Green Team Leadership Forum, to be held this fall, which will focus specifically on potential partnerships with nonprofit entities as well as through a new web-based information sharing venue hosted by Sustainable Jersey. You are invited to participate in the August 27th pre-forum meeting to discuss how this information will be used and potential opportunities for your ongoing participation in supporting municipal attainment of Sustainable Jersey Certification to be held at 10:00AM at the Coach Barn at Duke Farms (1112 Dukes Parkway West, Hillsborough). We look forward to meeting with all of you and working towards this very important initiative! `` ANIMALS IN THE COMMUNITY Animals in Community Education ANJEC “Adopt a Species” Program (Conserve Wildlife Foundation) Global Advisors on Smoke-Free Policy International Fund for Animal Welfare EcoSchools Companion Animal Management Plan International Fund for Animal Welfare Companion Animal Management Pledge International Fund for Animal Welfare Pledge Supporting NJ Wildlife Action Plan International Fund for Animal Welfare Wildlife Interaction Plan Comprehensive Conservation Plan (Raritan-Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Protection Group/Duke Farms/ Somerset County Park Commission) Conservation and Open Space Plan for the Sourland Mountain Region (Sourlands Planning Council) Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (NRCS) ACEP Program (NRCS) ARTS & CREATIVE CULTURE Creative Assets Inventory Preservation Toolkit (Preservation New Jersey) Heritage Partnership of New Jersey (Preservation New Jersey) Creative Placemaking Plan Someplace Not Anymore online project (Preservation New Jersey) Establish a Creative Team Art Pride Green Faith BROWNFIELDS Brownfields Inventory and Prioritization Brownfields Reuse Planning Arsenic Phytoremediation Project (Duke Farms) Brownfields Remediation Guide (ANJEC) CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION Climate Action Plan Comprehensive Conservation Plan (Raritan-Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Protection Group/Duke Farms) Environmental Preparation for Floods (ANJEC) Climate Adaptation: Flooding Risk Floodplain Restoration Projects (The Land Conservancy of New Jersey/Rutgers Cooperative Extension/The Nature Conservancy) Flood Buy-Out Assistance (The Land Conservancy of New Jersey) Planning for Climate Change (Trust for Public Land) `` Funding for Resiliency (Open Space Institute/The Land Conservancy of New Jersey/Trust for Public Land) Community/Municipal Carbon Footprint Wind Ordinance ANJEC COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH Community Education and Outreach ANJEC Municipal Program: Partners for Greener Communities (The Land Conservancy of NJ) National Agriculture Week Programs and Displays (Somerset County Agriculture Development Board) 4H Clubs and Programs (Somerset County 4H) Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association The Watershed Institute Art Pride Green Faith International Fund for Animal Welfare Raritan Headwaters Association Global Advisors on Smoke-Free Policy Create Green Team ANJEC Green Faith Education for Sustainability Programs Municipal Program: Partners for Greener Communities (The Land Conservancy of NJ) Organic Land Care for Homeowners (NOFA-NJ) ANJEC The Watershed Institute Art Pride EcoSchools International Fund for Animal Welfare Raritan Headwaters Association Rutgers Cooperative Extension Energy Education and Outreach ANJEC Energy Shield (Green Faith) TRC Green Challenges and Community Programs Photograph Competition of Township Open Space (Montgomery Friends of Open Space) ANJEC Green Faith Rutgers Cooperative Extension Global Advisors on Smoke-Free Policy School-based Energy Conservation Programs EcoSchools Green Faith TRC `` “Green” Your Fair Somerset County 4H Fair (Somerset County 4H) Hold a Green Fair ANJEC DIVERSITY AND EQUITY Diversity on Boards & Commissions Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition ANJEC Green Faith Environmental Justice in Planning and Zoning Green Faith United States Green Building Council Lead Education and Outreach Programs Green Faith United States Green Building Council Lead-Safe Training Program ENERGY EFFICIENCY Energy Tracking and Management TRC/NJ Clean Energy Program Achieving Target Increase in Local Business Participation TRC/New Jersey Clean Energy Program Outreach Campaign to Local Business Community TRC/New Jersey Clean Energy Program Energy Audits for One Building TRC/New Jersey Clean Energy Program Inventory and Upgrade All Buildings TRC/New Jersey Clean Energy Program High Performance Building LEED Buildings (Duke Farms) TRC/New Jersey Clean Energy Program United States Green Building Council High Performance Building Portfolio Municipal Program TRC/New Jersey Clean Energy Program Outreach Energy Services including audits, conservation training, identification of incentives and rebates, and solar assessment (Green Faith) TRC/New Jersey Clean Energy Program FOOD Farmland Preservation Plans Municipal Program: Partners for Greener Communities (The Land Conservancy of NJ) Grants for Plans (New Jersey Highlands Council) ANJEC ALE Program (NRCS) `` Implementation of Farmland Preservation Plans (New Jersey Conservation Foundation/D&R Greenway/The Land Conservancy of New Jersey/Montgomery Friends of Open Space/Trust for Public Land) Community/School Gardens EcoSchools Master Gardeners (Rutgers Cooperative Extension) Community Garden (Duke Farms) ANJEC Municipal Program: Partners for Greener Communities (The Land Conservancy of NJ) Buy Fresh/Buy Local Programs Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Duke Farms) Farmers Markets Weekend Farmers Market (Montgomery Friends of Open Space) Farmers Market (Downtown Somerville Alliance) Farmers Market (Duke Farms) Making Farmers Markets More Accessible “Find Local Food” online tool (NOFA-NJ) Soil Health and Cover Crops Demonstration Project (Duke Farms) Green Faith Rutgers Cooperative Extension GREEN DESIGN Green Building Policy/Resolution Green Building Training ANJEC The Watershed Institute Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association Create a Green Development Checklist ANJEC Green Building Education LEED Buildings (Duke Farms) LEED Platinum Building (The Watershed Institute) Site Plan Green Design Standards ANJEC Standards for Stormwater Management Plans (New Jersey Highlands Council) Construction Waste Recycling New Construction (must meet an established green building standard) LEED Buildings (Duke Farms) LEED Platinum Building (The Watershed Institute) Upgrade/Retrofit Light Pollution Duke Farms TRC/New Jersey Clean Energy Program Upgrade/Retrofit Water Conservation Duke Farms The Watershed Institute Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association `` HEALTH AND WELLNESS Anti-idling Education and Enforcement Program Ridewise Building Healthier Communities Asthma Toolkit (Green Faith) Monthly Hikes (Montgomery Friends of Open Space) Ridewise Safe Routes to School ANJEC Ridewise INNOVATION/DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS Geothermal Energy The Watershed Institute