Hunterdon County Commissioners authorize grant application to Green Acres for creation of a barrier free playground in South County Park
HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – Hunterdon County Commissioners Tuesday approved applying for a grant opportunity through the Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program for the creation of Completely Inclusive Playground at South County Park.
The funds available for this grant became available when the Department of Community Affairs adopted regulations for Jake’s Law, that set out the standards for the Inclusive Playgrounds construction.
“As a board, we fully support and encourage municipalities to take advantage of the grant funds being offered through Green Acres Jake’s Law initiative. Completely Inclusive Playgrounds are great way to include and serve children of all abilities, as is evident from the all-inclusive playground recently constructed at Deer Path Park here in the county. Projects like these playgrounds designed with accessible and inclusive equipment, serve to benefit all children throughout Hunterdon County,” Commissioner Director Zach Rich said.
The Green Acres Program just recently announced the 2024 funding round, open to municipalities, counties, and nonprofit organizations. Grants for the Completely Inclusive Playground grants were made available last year for counties and have now expanded the pilot program to invite municipalities to apply. Should a municipal community decide to pursue this grant opportunity, the Hunterdon County Commissioners Board would be happy to include a letter in support of the application.
Local governments can apply for 75% matching grants for Completely Inclusive Playgrounds; awards anticipated to be between $500,000 – $750,000 for municipalities and $750,000 – $1,000,000 for counties depending on the demand. The deadline is February 7, 2024. Supplemental funding requests for active projects are also due on February 7th.
Information on the playground program can be found at https://dep.nj.gov/greenacres/ All applications are available on the “Forms and Regulations” page under the “Applications” tab. Public outreach and participation during the planning phase are important application requirements.
