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Certified Local Government

The Certified Local Government Program in Virginia

Communities strengthen and expand their local preservation programs through Certified Local Government (CLG) designation. The CLG program was created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended in 1980). It establishes a partnership between local governments, the federal historic preservation program, and each state's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which in the case of Virginia is the Department of Historic Resources (DHR).

The program allows DHR, as the SHPO, to recommend for certification local governments that have put key elements of a sound local preservation program in place in their communities. Designation as a CLG gives local governments a way to participate more formally in the state and national historic preservation programs. General requirements for certification are identified in the federal program; specific requirements for the Virginia program have been established by DHR.

Goals of the Virginia CLG program are threefold:

• Promote viable communities through preservation
• Recognize and reward communities with sound local preservation programs
• Establish credentials of quality for local preservation programs

To learn more about the CLG program, click on the various links featured in the top-right navigation box above. 

Additional information is also available from your regional Department of Historic Resources preservation office (regional offices) and from the CLG Program Manager:

Pamela Schenian
Manager, CLG Program
Department of Historic Resources
Tidewater Regional Preservation Office
14415 Old Courthouse Way, 2nd Floor
Newport News, Virginia 23608

Phone: (757) 886-2818
Fax:(757) 886-2808

CLG Grants

CLG designation also allows a jurisdication to apply for CLG grants through federal Historic Preservation Funds (HPF). Ten percent of all HPF monies that come to the Commonwealth of Virginia must be distributed to CLGs. DHR does this through a competitive grant process, open only to CLGs.

Certified Local Government (CLG) Grant Recipients & Projects for FFY 2012-13:

DHR awarded a total of $89,540 to CLGs. Here are the grant recipients for FFY2012-13 and projects:

• City of Alexandria, for the development of a survey app and the first phase of a historic district re-survey;
• Arlington County, for the preparation of a Preliminary Information Form (PIF) for an individual property;
• Town of Culpeper, for a historic district re-survey;
• Clarke County, for the nomination of one district and the survey of, and PIF for a second;
• City of Lynchburg, for survey and PIF for a historic district;
• Prince William County, for archaeological survey;
• City of Roanoke, for two district nominations in one project and a boundary expansion survey and nomination in another project; and
• Town of Stephens City, for distinctive street signs for its historic district.

Page Updated: 10.4.12