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Department of Environmental Protection’s Involvement with the State Plan

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][breadcrumb-shortcode][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan (State Plan) provides a vision for the future that will preserve and enhance the quality of life for all residents of New Jersey. The Office of Climate Resilience (OCR) leads State Plan-related activities for NJDEP, and works closely with the Department of State’s Office of Planning Advocacy (OPA) which staffs the State Planning Commission.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]

Visit the Office of Planning Advocacy – State Plan Website

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Much of OCR’s State Plan-related work is through the State plan endorsement process, an incentive program for NJ local and regional governments designed to ensure the coordination of State, county, and municipal planning efforts in achieving the goals and policies of the State Planning Act. Governments that are successfully endorsed can access a variety of benefits from State agencies to assist in their planning efforts. The plan endorsement process involves collaborative review and approval across state agencies to ensure a municipality’s planning documents are consistent with the State Plan. In this process, OCR coordinates with programs across NJDEP by reviewing mapping and implementation documents at the local level to ensure commitment to relevant environmental issues, including, but not limited to:

  • habitat conservation
  • water supply protection
  • historic preservation
  • environmental justice
  • climate risk reduction

The New Jersey Coastal Zone Management (CZM) rules (N.J.A.C. 7:7) adopted on January 20, 2026 require that changes to the State Plan map located in the Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) area by the State Planning Commission (SPC) are to be evaluated by the NJDEP for consistency with the purposes of CAFRA and the CZM rules. This action also falls within OCR’s purview. For all such formal actions by the State Planning Commission, and in order to inform NJDEP’s evaluation of the State Plan map change, the petitioner to the State Planning Commission that resulted in the map change(s), must submit a CAFRA Compliance Narrative Statement (CNS) and any additional information necessary to NJDEP to demonstrate compliance with the CZM rules. If NJDEP determines the State Planning Commission change(s) to the State Plan map to be consistent, NJDEP will amend the CAFRA Planning Map as appropriate, which will be used for the purposes of determining the applicable impervious cover limits and vegetative cover requirements for certain approvals required by the CZM rules. NJDEP will not reject a boundary unless it finds that accepting the boundary would result in unacceptable harm to the coastal ecosystem or the resources of the built or natural environment, or would otherwise be clearly inconsistent with the purposes of CAFRA or the CZM rules. To aid petitioners in meeting this requirement, OCR offers the CAFRA Compliance Narrative Statement Guidance .

CAFRA Compliance Narrative Statements may be submitted to cafraconsistency@deptest.nj.gov.

The Coastal Zone Management rule language adopted on January 20, 2026 for N.J.A.C. 7:7-13.16 can be found here .

The rule summary for the updated rules adopted on January 20, 2026 can be found here .

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