Local governments that establish a historic preservation program meeting federal and state standards are eligible to apply to the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and the National Park Service for certification as a CLG. The Certified Local Government Program is a preservation partnership between local, state and national governments focused on promoting historic preservation at the grass-roots level. The key reasons to become a CLG are:
- access to the expert technical advice of the State Offices as well as the NPS, and
- eligibility to compete for federal funds annually allocated to support local historic preservation projects.
CLG funds may be used for a wide variety of projects such as historic survey work, community planning, local design guidelines, archeology, public education and National Register nomination development as well as direct participation in the review and approval of nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.