Become a CLG
Is your community ready to enhance its commitment to historic preservation?
Then now is the time to become a Certified Local Government (CLG) and an active partner in the Federal Preservation Program. Check to see if your community is already a certified local government. See below for frequently asked questions.
What are the benefits of being a CLG?
Being a CLG opens the door for funding, technical assistance, training, and other benefits.
- Funding: 10% of funding received by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) from the Federal Historic Preservation Fund must be given to CLGs. CLG grants can fund: surveys, National Register nominations, rehabilitation work, design guidelines, educational programs, training, structural assessments, and feasibility studies, among other projects.
- Technical Assistance: As a CLG, communities have direct access to SHPO staff for assistance with their historic properties commissions, building assessments, surveys and nominations, and general preservation assistance.
- Trainings: The SHPO and the National Park Service offer regular training for CLGs.
- Other Benefits: Historic preservation has proven economic, environmental, and social benefits. Studies show that historic districts maintain higher property values, less population decline, more walkability, and greater sense of community.
How does your community qualify to be a CLG?
Your community must:
- Establish a qualified historic preservation commission.
- Enforce appropriate State or local legislation for the designation and protection of historic properties.
- Maintain a system for the survey and inventory of local historic resources.
- Facilitate public participation in local preservation, including in National Register listings.
- Follow additional requirements outlined in the State’s CLG Procedures, maintained by the SHPO.
How do we start the process of becoming a CLG?
To get certified, first contact the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and ask for the CLG Coordinator. She will assist your community in understanding the requirements and application process. Then, your community must submit a completed application to the SHPO, who will approve and forward to the National Park Service (NPS). Certification occurs with NPS approval and written notification to the State and the local government.
Do you have tips for communities with CLG status?
Absolutely! If your community is already a CLG, check out the handbook contained on our Local Historic Districts page.
The National Park Service has more information about the certified local government program.