Certified Local Government Program (CLG)

The CLG program offers a partnership between a municipal government and the state historic preservation office as a means to encourage and expand local involvement in preservation-related activities.  The Division of Historical Resources (DHR) designates at least 10 percent of its annual Historic Preservation Fund allocation from the Department of the Interior to support Certified Local Governments.

Municipal governments must apply for admission to the program, and to be eligible, they must have established a historic preservation review body that has regulatory responsibilities. That review body is then also responsible for advising the municipal government and its land use boards (planning board, zoning board of adjustment, and conservation commission) and becomes the coordinator for municipal preservation activities. It prepares reports on National Register of Historic Places nominations for all properties within the community (not just those within a historic district), sponsors public information programs on historic preservation, and prepares applications for matching grants from the CLG share of the state’s annual Historic Preservation Fund allocation. The DHR provides training for the CLG commission and offers ongoing technical assistance to help the community and the commission conduct historic preservation projects, address preservation issues and opportunities, and resolve concerns relating to federally assisted activities that may affect historic properties.

Matching grants from Certified Local Governments can be used to fund community preservation activities such as historic resource surveys, National Register nominations, preservation planning, and educational projects. In some years, grants are also available for architectural plans and specifications, engineering reports, and even “bricks and mortar” work on National Register properties.

Read more about the New Hampshire Certified Local Government Program