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ARTICLE · 27 JANUARY 2026

Resilient Environments And Landscapes Rule Updates

Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox
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New Jersey's Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) rule has undergone some significant changes since last discussed in our 2025 New Jersey Forecast. The original REAL rule, proposed on August 5, 2024...

United StatesEnvironment
John F. Gullace
John F. Gullace
Danielle Bagwell
Danielle Bagwell
Natalia Teekah
Natalia Teekah

New Jersey's Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) rule has undergone some significant changes since last discussed in our  2025 New Jersey Forecast. The  original REAL rule, proposed on August 5, 2024 (the “2024 Rule Proposal”), made notable changes to the current regulatory scheme in order to aggressively address coastal flooding impacts driven by climate change. The 2024 Rule Proposal received thousands of comments and substantial pushback from the public, municipalities, and industry alike, and on July 21, 2025, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) published a  Notice of Substantial Change (NOSC) significantly amending the 2024 Rule Proposal to address widespread concerns. The 2024 Rule Proposal, including the provisions contemplated under the NOSC, were adopted on January 20, 2026.

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