St. Johns County Receives Certified Local Government Designation

Tallahassee –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that St. Johns County has been designated a Florida Certified Local Government (CLG), effective May 5, 2014. The CLG Program is a partnership among local governments, the State of Florida and the National Park Service, which designates CLGs through the National Historic Preservation Program.  

"As a Florida Certified Local Government, St. Johns County has made a commitment to historic preservation and protecting what makes their county special,” said Secretary Detzner. “Their efforts will not only preserve the social, cultural, and ethnic heritage that enriches Florida, but can serve as an important economic engine by creating jobs and generating heritage tourism in the county."

The CLG program encourages the direct participation of local governments in the identification, evaluation, registration, and preservation of historic properties within their jurisdictions, and promotes the integration of local preservation interests and concerns into local planning and decision-making processes. Local governments that participate in the CLG Program act independently to develop and maintain a successful preservation program.

St. Johns County was established in 1821, and was one of the first counties created when Florida was ceded to the United States. The county is home to St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the nation. Unincorporated areas of the county also include a wealth of historic and archaeological resources. Historic preservation has been a public policy in St. Johns County since the county enacted a historic preservation ordinance in 2001. This ordinance mandated the survey of the county’s historic resources and archaeological probability zones to encourage preservation of these resources. The county’s CLG program is directed by the eight-member St. Johns County Cultural Resources Review Board, with staff assistance provided by Robin E. Moore, Historic Resources Coordinator.

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About the Florida Certified Local Government Program

The CLG was established in 1980, and is administered by the National Park Service and in Florida by the Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State. The CLG Program links three levels of government—federal, state and local—into a preservation partnership for the identification, evaluation, and protection of historic and archaeological resources. Florida’s CLGs (towns, cities, and counties) receive expert technical historic preservation assistance to guide them in the preservation efforts from the National Park Service, the Division of Historical Resources, and from Florida’s other CLGs. This designation also gives CLGs access to historic preservation grant assistance available solely to CLGs. In order to become a CLG, a local government must meet several requirements, the most important of which is a commitment to enforcing local and state historic preservation laws, and the establishment of a professionally qualified historic preservation board. Nationally, more than 1,880 local governments participate in the CLG program. In Florida, 63 local governments have been designated as CLG. For more information visit flheritage.com/preservation/clg.

About the Division of Historical Resources

The Division of Historical Resources (DHR) is responsible for preserving and promoting Florida’s historical, archaeological, and folk culture resources. DHR directs historic preservation efforts throughout the state in cooperation with state and federal agencies, local governments, private organizations, and individuals. The director of DHR serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, acting as the liaison with the national historic preservation program conducted by the National Park Service. Chapter 267, Florida Statutes, directs DHR to develop a statewide historic preservation plan. The Division is comprised of two Bureaus or major program areas: archaeological research and historic preservation. For more information visit flheritage.com