The Certified Local Government Program

In 1980, Congress enhanced the role of local governments in the nation’s historic preservation program that was set forth in the National Historic Preservation Act by establishing the Certified Local Government Program.  The certification program supports local governments willing to make a commitment to historic preservation. 

A Certified Local Government or “CLG” demonstrates its commitment to historic preservation by enacting a preservation ordinance and establishing a citizen-led commission to oversee the local preservation program.  As a CLG, the community is a partner in preservation with the Historic Preservation Division (HPD) and the National Park Service. 

A National Park Service program enabled by the National Historic Preservation Act, the CLG program gives municipalities the option of strengthening local historic preservation activities through exclusive funding incentives and enhanced technical assistance from HPD.

In New Mexico, the CLG program is administered by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division. For more information on the CLG program or how to become certified, download the CLG Program Manual, or the guiding legislation, below. 

CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM - INFORMATION

GRANTS TO CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMUNITIES

HPD must set aside 10% of its annual Historic Preservation Fund allocation for a grant program to communities that are certified through the National Park Service as a Certified Local Government. In 2022, we have about $125,000 in grant funding available.  

New Mexico's Certified Local Governments (the City of Albuquerque, the Village of Columbus, the City of Deming, the City of Las Cruces, the City of Las Vegas, the County of Lincoln, Los Alamos County, the City of Santa Fe, the Village of Santa Clara, and the Town of Taos) are eligible to apply for these grants.

A Grant Announcement will be sent out to all CLG communities and is posted below.  Please read the Grant Announcement to learn more about these financial incentives for advancing preservation in your community.

The CLG grant announcement, application forms, guiding documents, and grant reporting forms may be found below. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 21, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.  

CLG GRANTS – INFORMATION: 

CLG GRANTS – APPLICATION MATERIALS 

All of the grant application forms are available for download below.  Please complete the forms per examples in the New Mexico Grants Manual, available above. 

CLG GRANTS – REPORTING DOCUMENTS & FORMS

These forms are used by grant recipients while a grant is in process or being completed.