Historic Preservation Certified Local Government Grants

The Historic Preservation Certified Local Government Grants program is administered by the Historic Preservation Office (HPO) of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) under the U.S. Department of the Interior. This program is structured to support the objectives of the National Historic Preservation Act and adheres to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Through its Certified Local Government (CLG) framework, the program aims to broaden local government involvement in national historic preservation efforts and to develop and sustain local preservation programs. The program specifically seeks to identify and protect historically significant buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts in New Jersey. These include properties that hold architectural, historical, archaeological, or engineering value and qualify for inclusion on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. Financial and technical assistance is made available to aid in the identification of these resources and in the development of planning tools for their protection. Funding for this grant originates from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s allocation of federal historic preservation funds. Ten percent of the state's annual federal allocation must be regranted by the Historic Preservation Office as sub-grants to Certified Local Governments. Each year, announcements regarding the availability of the application are distributed to mayors and local historic preservation commission chairs. For FFY2026, the application period opened on November 12, 2025, and the submission deadline is March 31, 2026. Notifications of award decisions are expected around June 2026, contingent on the availability of federal funds. To be eligible, municipalities must meet three criteria: they must have achieved Certified Local Government status by the grant deadline; they must be current in submitting their annual reports as per the state’s CLG Guidelines; and they must agree to comply with all relevant state and federal regulations. If a community has recently obtained CLG status within the past calendar year, the annual report submission requirement is waived. Otherwise, any outstanding annual report must accompany the application. The program uses a competitive evaluation process. Applications are assessed for technical completeness and reviewed by a panel of historic preservation professionals. This panel makes funding recommendations to the Assistant Commissioner of the DEP’s Community Investment and Economic Revitalization program. The grant awards are subject to the final approval of the Assistant Commissioner. Grant awards range between $15,000 and $50,000. For more information or assistance with the application process, prospective applicants can contact Cassidy Deegan at [email protected] or call 609-940-5812. Additional guidance, including certification requirements and reporting instructions, is available through New Jersey’s Certified Local Government Guidelines, accessible via the Historic Preservation Office website.