New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act 2022 - Fall

Team Members: Pauline Jozefiak (Manager), Gan Sylvia (Deputy Manager), Christine Ow, Eirlys Chui, Hailey Moll, Lauren Farmer, Kate Zabinsky, Qu Songze, Yu Yueyue

The New York–New Jersey Watershed is one of the most economically and ecologically significant regions in the United States, supporting over 15 million residents and generating more than $60 billion annually through tourism, fisheries, and recreation. However, decades of industrial pollution, urban development, and fragmented governance have severely degraded water quality, reduced habitat availability, and increased vulnerability to climate-driven flooding. Environmental justice concerns are also pronounced, as disadvantaged communities disproportionately face pollution exposure and limited access to restored waterfront areas. The New York–New Jersey Watershed Protection Act seeks to address these challenges by establishing a coordinated federal restoration framework and providing dedicated grant funding to support ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, and equitable public access improvements.

Successful implementation requires strong interagency coordination, strategic funding allocation, and performance monitoring to ensure restoration efforts produce measurable ecological and social benefits. A centralized restoration program administered by federal agencies improves efficiency by aligning fragmented local efforts, reducing duplication, and prioritizing high-impact projects. Competitive grants enable state, local, and community organizations to advance restoration initiatives while leveraging existing expertise. Clear evaluation metrics and adaptive management ensure long-term effectiveness and accountability. These measures strengthen ecosystem function, improve water quality, enhance climate resilience, and expand equitable access to natural resources, supporting both environmental recovery and regional economic sustainability.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management.