In 1986, Westport proudly became the first municipality in Connecticut to become a Certified Local Government (CLG), and it is the policy of the Town of Westport, as expressed in the 2017 Westport Plan of Conservation and Development, that Westport should retain its CLG status. Under the CLG program, a local government gains access to certain benefits from the Federal government (through the National Park Service) and State government (through the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) in the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development) if the local government follows certain Federal and State requirements for historic preservation. Among the benefits Westport receives as a CLG are grants, technical assistance, and training. Among Westport’s responsibilities as a CLG are:

● Maintaining a system for the survey and inventory of local historic resources (the Westport Historic Resources Inventory - “HRI”)
● Maintaining the preservation standards established by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior
● Facilitating public participation in local preservation, including the process of recommending properties for the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register, which is non-regulatory, honors individual properties and districts (areas containing multiple properties) which are significant to the history of the nation. A map of Westport’s National Register properties and districts can be found here.