Is your community ready to enhance their commitment to historic preservation?  Then now is the time to become a Certified Local Government (CLG) and an active partner in the National Preservation Program.

First step is to contact the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in your state and ask for the CLG Coordinator, each state has one. The SHPO facilitates this Federal program for the National Park Service (NPS) and will assist your community with the certification process. The completed application is then sent to NPS for final review and official certification.

A community must address the following minimum goals to demonstrate to the State and NPS that they are committed to historic preservation.

• Establish a qualified historic preservation commission.

• Enforce appropriate State or local legislation for the designation and protection of historic properties. In most cases this is done in the form of a local ordinance.

• Maintain a system for the survey and inventory of local historic resources.

• Provide for public participation in the local historic preservation program, including participation in the National Register process.

• Follow any addition requirements as outline in the State's Procedures for Certification.

Each state has Procedures for Certification that are approved by NPS, and often establish additional requirements for becoming a CLG in that state. Contact your State CLG Coordinator to learn more about any additional requirements.

Locate your State Coordinator