Certified Local Governments
Among the strongest parts of the nation’s preservation network are local governments and private property owners. The Certified Local Government (CLG) program is a partnership program between the National Park Service, the SHPO, and local governments to support and strengthen local historic preservation programs. In 2019, the Nevada SHPO completed revisions to the State's CLG program in an effort to expand access for Nevada's diverse local governments.
Becoming a CLG benefits a local government by providing access to special historic preservation grants and ongoing training and technical assistance provided by the SHPO. In order to become certified, a local government must establish an historic preservation program that includes, at minimum:
- An ordinance included in their Planning & Zoning code that supports historic preservation;
- The creation of an historic preservation commission to oversee the local government’s preservation program;
- Provisions for complying with Nevada’s Open Meeting Law and including the public in the development and maintenance of the preservation program.
Local governments can also create procedures for the designation of historic resources by their governing body (city council or county commission), and to review developments on those properties consistent with state and federal laws and guidelines, however, Nevada does not require regulatory programs for a local government to become a CLG. For more information about Nevada's requirements to become a CLG, check out the following documents:
- Nevada's CLG Handbook - a guide for how communities can become CLGs, and how to operate once an ordinance is passed and a commission established.
- Nevada's CLG Agreement - a blank copy of Nevada's CLG Agreement. This agreement is signed by the local government and the SHPO, and approved by the National Park Service before a community is certified.
You can find more information about the national CLG program on the National Park Service website. Nevada’s CLG’s continue to grow and refine their preservation programs, and are leaders in preserving the state’s heritage.
List of CLGs and contacts.
How to Get Involved
There are lots of ways to support preservation in your community. Check out these suggestions. If you live in a CLG and want to learn more about your community’s existing historic preservation program, check out the links below:
Storey County is also a CLG in partnership with the Comstock Historic District Commission