Certified Local Government Program

Certified Local Government Program is sponsored by Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Helps local governments protect historic places and participate in preservation processes.

Certified Local Government Program | Missouri State Parks Certified Local Government Program In 1980, Congress established the Certified Local Government (CLG) Program.

Jointly administered by the National Park Service and the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, the CLG program provides a mechanism for local governments to protect their local historic places and to participate in various state and federal historic preservation processes. Implementing a local historic preservation program is the best protection for a community’s special cultural resources.

A local program allows a community to celebrate the places and values important to it, regardless of their National Register of Historic Places eligibility. Communities can also determine for themselves how, and how stringently, to protect their historic resources. For more information about the CLG Program in Missouri, click the button below to a view a video about the program.

Requirements for Participation in Missouri's CLG Program The National Park Service allows each state to specify its own requirements for certification. Missouri has five overarching requirements: Enact a historic preservation ordinance. Establish a qualified historic preservation commission (HPC) to review and oversee the community’s preservation activities.

Maintain a system for ongoing survey and inventory of historic properties. Provide for adequate public participation in the local historic preservation programs. The local government shall "satisfactorily perform the responsibilities delegated to it" by the SHPO, as outlined above.

Built into these requirements is sufficient flexibility that a preservation program can be tailored to meet the needs of the community’s special historic characteristics as well as its contemporary concerns. Federal law requires each state to pass a minimum of 10% of its annual Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grants to CLGs to fund their preservation activities.

Fundable projects include, but are not limited to: Architectural or archaeological surveys Acquiring professional staff assistance Long-term comprehensive plans Outreach and education projects Travel to preservation-related conferences The application period for HPF grants typically opens each June.

Certified Local Governments can also expect expanded opportunities to receive technical assistance and training from both the Missouri SHPO and the National Park Service. Partnerships with other non-government organizations, including the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Main Street America can further expand this base of technical resources.

Community Development and Streamlining Preservation Processes Being certified with the National Park Service demonstrates that your local preservation practices are consistent with established, nationally recognized preservation standards. It also provides a mechanism for integrating a preservation ethic into more comprehensive land use planning and project development processes.

Additionally, it gives the City a voice and streamlines the public notification and comment process for other preservation activities, such as listing a property on the National Register. For more information on the Missouri CLG program, please contact our office at 573-751-7858 or by email .