Rumson, NJ: Waterspirit—a spiritual ecology nonprofit dedicated to protecting sacred water, integral ecology, and environmental justice—expresses deep disappointment and moral outrage at the Murphy administration’s decision not to adopt the original NJPACT REAL (Resilient Environments and Landscapes) rules on August 4th, 2025.
During a time when stormwater flooding is escalating, sea levels are rising, and more communities are deemed uninsurable, the state’s retreat under pressure from the business and real estate sectors is both shameful and dangerous. The original NJPACT REAL rules were designed to protect New Jersey residents—particularly vulnerable and historically marginalized communities—by integrating climate science, green infrastructure and future-focused land use planning. This plan has now been gutted.
“This is a decision that puts lives at risk,” said Rachel Dawn Davis, Public Policy & Justice Organizer for Waterspirit. “It prioritizes short-term profits over long-term survival while people—especially low-income and frontline residents—remain in flood-prone areas with no protection and no options.”
The rollback comes as climate disasters, like the ongoing catastrophe in Texas, continue to expose the human cost of government inaction. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the administration has cloaked this retreat in language about affordable housing. In reality, it has opened the door for developers to profit from placing our most vulnerable in New Jersey in dangerous, uninsurable locations.
Waterspirit calls on New Jersey to restore the original NJPACT REAL rules and take immediate steps to ensure no resident is forced to live in harm’s way for the sake of political convenience or economic gain.
“This is not planning; this is abandonment. Why should poor families live on unsafe ground? Why is this acceptable in New Jersey?” said Blair Nelsen, Waterspirit’s Executive Director. “We must plan with humility, act with courage, and lead with care. Climate adaptation is not optional. It is a moral obligation.”
Learn more about the NJPACT REAL rules: REGISTER to virtually attend the “A Solution to Flooding in New Jersey” webinar on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 6 p.m.