Certified Local Government Program

The National Historic Preservation Act established a nationwide program to encourage preservation and wise use of our historic resources. Among other things the Act established the National Register of Historic Places, created State Historic Preservation Officers, and created the Certified Local Government (CLG) program to support local governments' historic preservation programs.

The CLG Program's Purpose and Objectives:

• Encourage historic preservation at the local level through local governmental sponsorship;
• Encourage local governments to follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards & Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation in their historic preservation programs;
• Provide training and technical assistance through the State's historic preservation office;
• Provide funding to underwrite various historic preservation activities.
• Create a federal, state, and local governmental partnership in historic preservation
• Each state's historic preservation office administers a Certified Local Government Program on behalf of the National Park Service.

In Iowa, the Certified Local Government program is one of the historic preservation offerings of the State Historic Preservation Office, State Historical Society of Iowa.

Meeting Certified Local Government Requirements

To participate in the CLG program, a local government must have a local historic preservation program that complies with CLG program requirements. To qualify or obtain "certified status", the local government must demonstrate that its local historic preservation program meets certain standards. Briefly, these are as follows:

1. Operates under a historic preservation ordinance (city) or resolution (county).
2. There is a historic preservation commission to oversee the program.
3. Preservation commissioners must meet certain criteria to be appointed to commission.
4. There is a commitment to preserve the full range of properties from archaeological sites to districts.
5. Preservation activities include identifying, evaluating and registering historic properties.
6. Local government will maintain a file/inventory of properties.
7. Preservation program encourages nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.
8. Will conduct public review and comment on National Register of Historic places nominations of properties within jurisdiction.
9. Public is encouraged to participate in all aspects of the preservation program.
10. Local government will enforce all appropriate state and local ordinances for designating and protecting historic properties.
11. There is no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, and/or national origin in any of the local government's activities in implementing its preservation program.

Why Participate in the CLG Program? Some Benefits

For the local government, its staff and Historic Preservation Commission, there are some direct benefits. There is free historic preservation training and technical assistance from the State's historic preservation staff. Participating cities and counties receive a start-up preservation reference library for use in developing and administering the program. Cities and Counties in the CLG program will qualify for REAP Historic Resource Development Program (HRDP) grants for rehabilitating city or county-owned properties that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Finally, cities and counties qualify for a small, competitive, matching CLG grant program that is open only CLG program participants. These grants can be used to underwrite all historic preservation activities except rehabilitation.

For More Information about Iowa's CLG Program, Contact:

Paula Mohr
CLG Program Coordinator
State Historical Society of Iowa
600 East Locust Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0290
Telephone: 515.281.6826
Email: paula.mohr@iowa.gov