NJDEP Closes Pinelands Sections Amid Severe Flooding Crisis

TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) on Friday closed multiple sections of the 1.1 million-acre Pinelands National Reserve after relentless heavy rains triggered severe flooding, endangering rare wetlands and pine barrens. Initially reported by ABC7 New York, the action protects the preserve's mission to preserve natural and cultural resources across Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Atlantic counties. No specific casualty or damage figures were immediately available, but the flooding highlights growing risks in this federally designated area.

NJDEP's move aligns with the state's proactive NJ Protecting Against Climate Threat Resilient Environments and Landscapes (NJPACT REAL) rules, adopted this week and published in the New Jersey Register. These groundbreaking regulations, the first in the nation, mandate new developments in flood-prone Pinelands zones be elevated at least four feet above FEMA flood levels to account for projected 2100 sea-level rise of up to five feet. Enhanced stormwater controls now apply to previously exempt redevelopments, slowing runoff to curb flash floods, alongside accelerated nature-based wetland restoration.

The Pinelands, often called New Jersey's 'woods in the wasteland,' buffers coastal storms but remains susceptible as climate models predict worsening inundation. NJDEP's Flood Hazard Area rules define risks as land below design flood elevations, with a new online Flood Indicator Tool aiding property assessments. Proposed coastal flooding regulation updates, eyed for year-end adoption, further elevate standards beyond current FEMA maps. Officials urge residents in Wharton, Hammonton and Chatsworth to avoid closed trails and monitor NJDEP alerts amid ongoing rains.