On September 19, the League submitted comments to the NJDEP regarding this Notice of Substantial Change, expressing continued concerns over the impact they will have on municipal governments and taxpayers. Other stakeholders, including individual municipalities and counties, have also submitted comments expressing concerns regarding the changes.
As we have previously reported, on July 21, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) proposed a Notice of Substantial Change to land use regulations through the Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) Rule proposal. The DEP also published its responses to comments made during the public comment period following the agency’s August 5 changes.
The NJDEP has indicated that final rules will be adopted in January 2026.
Please read the League’s recent blog post with additional information on the rules and their potential impacts on municipalities. The League also held a REAL/Pact Lunch & Learn on October 3, 2024, with experts to further explain these rules.
Contacts: Mike Cerra, Executive Director, mcerra@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x120, and Sadayah Q. DuRant-Brown, Legislative Counsel, sdurantbrown@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x137.