Gibbons SFY 2026 Report: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Presents Its FY 2026 Budget Proposal
This is the latest installment in a series of posts that offers a detailed look into the budget proposals for the major departments that constitute the state government. On April 9, 2025, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Commissioner Shawn LaTourette appeared before the General Assembly Budget Committee (“ABU”) to present the NJDEP’s proposed FY 2026 budget, which totals $485.2 million. This total represents a decrease of $305.4 million or 38.6 percent from the FY 2025 adjusted appropriation. Backdrop of Federal Funding Cuts and Major Policy Changes Since President Trump began his second term in January 2025, his administration has implemented significant policy shifts impacting environmental efforts across the United States. On his first day back in office, President Trump issued an Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This move marked the second time the United States has withdrawn from the accord during Trump’s leadership. That same month, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed all “climate change” references from its website and President Trump issued an Executive Order terminating “to the maximum extent allowed by law, all … ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions.” Additionally, President Trump issued an Executive Order indefinitely withdrawing all areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from any...