Proposed Rules For Flood Zones Don't Address Shore Concerns, LBI Mayor Says

LONG BEACH TWP., NJ — The new proposed Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rules for flood resiliency are better than their previous incarnation but still don't do enough to address the concerns of Jersey Shore communities, according to one local mayor.

Long Beach Township Mayor Joseph Mancini sent a letter to the DEP outlining his concerns about the proposed Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) rules.

“The Township remains deeply concerned that even the revised rule is premature, inequitable, and based on speculative long-range projections that lack the scientific certainty and policy justification required for such sweeping mandates,” Mancini wrote in the letter.

The REAL rules initially were proposed in 2024 and were changed in response to extensive public comment and feedback the state DEP received, Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said.

The proposed changes affect the coastal zone flood-elevation for new and substantially improved buildings and infrastructure. When the rules originally were proposed in 2024, the NJDEP sought 5 feet above the FEMA base flood elevation, but the new change would lower that to 4 feet above base flood elevation.

The lower elevation "effectively reduces the amount of additional coastal land area that would be subject to the building safety standards of New Jersey’s Flood Hazard Area Control Act," the NJDEP said. Read more: Big Changes To Flood Zone Construction If New NJ Rule Is Approved

In determining the REAL rules, the DEP considered sea level rise projections using predictions of likely global temperature increases. LaTourette said the rules "will better position our coastal communities to withstand existing and future risks from coastal flooding, sea-level rise, and storm surge" but will do so without compromising public safety.

But Mancini said that these rules use "speculative science" that "likely will never occur," according to a press release.

Mancini also said the mandates will be paid for by homeowners and businesses, making the shore unaffordable.

“More than anyone I want to protect my constituents in Long Beach Township and others living in Shore communities,” said Mancini. “But I want to protect them from dangers that are realistic and I want to do it in a way that is practical and affordable.”

Public comment is currently open on REAL standards; a virtual public hearing is set for Sept. 3. More information is available on the DEP's REAL webpage.

Mancini asked for several changes to be made, including reducing the building elevation standard to 1 foot, plus one foot of freeboard (for a total of 2 feet), providing meaningful state and federal funding to support mandated infrastructure and property improvements and more.

“The Township does not oppose planning for climate change—it is fully committed to resilience and has invested millions toward stormwater, utility, and coastal protection efforts,” Mancini said. “But we firmly oppose drastic, unfunded mandates built on low-probability outcomes, especially when they disproportionately impact the middle-class property owners who form the backbone of our communities.”