1. National Park Service (NPS): If you're like most people, when you hear "National Park Service," you think of natural sites like the Grand Canyon or historic places like the Statue of Liberty. But they also administer the National Register of Historic Places, preservation grant programs, historic tax credit programs, and the certified local government program.
2. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ADHP): The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is an independent federal agency that advises the President and Congress on preservation policy, especially federally assisted projects that affect historic properties.
3. State Historic Preservation Office/Tribal Historic Preservation Office (SHPO or THPO): These are the public sector preservation partners on either the state or tribal level. Their responsibilities include: identifying historic properties; considering National Register nominations; reviewing federal projects for their impact on historic properties; administering tax incentive and grant programs; and providing assistance to federal agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector.
4. Certified Local Governments (CLG): The Certified Local Government program is administered by the National Park Service in partnership with the state historic preservation office to promote preservation at the grassroots level. CLGs are local governments with historic preservation programs that meet the Park Service's prescribed standards, making them eligible for technical assistance and small matching grants - including Chapel Hill.
5. Main Street Programs: Found in more than 1,200 communities nationwide, Main Street programs combine historic preservation with economic development to restore prosperity and vitality to downtowns and neighborhood business districts.
6. Preservation Action: The only national preservation lobby, Preservation Action coordinates a network of preservationists, community activists, and civic leaders who provide grassroots support for preservation on Capitol Hill and in their states and communities.
7. National Trust for Historic Preservation: The National Trust is a nonprofit organization with a national focus, working to preserve national treasures, advocating for historic tax credit programs, educating preservation professionals, and sharing the good work of preservationists nationwide.
8. Statewide Preservation Organizations: Unlike SHPOs, statewides are private nonprofit groups that serve as a preservation network and represent preservation activities within a state. They advocate for preservation-friendly legislation in the state government, provide technical assistance, and offer training and education programs.
9. Local Preservation Commissions: Local preservation commissions are the principal local level, public sector preservation partners. Commissions -- which may also go by the name of architectural review board or historic preservation commission -- identify locally significant properties. They are established through the adoption of a local preservation ordinance and have a wide range of responsibilities and powers depending on state and local laws. The local preservation commission is the governmental agency that approves or denies changes to designated historic properties that are privately owned.
10. Local Preservation Organizations: Much like our statewide counterparts, nonprofits like Preservation Chapel Hill advocate for local preservation issues and provide technical/educational assistance. Many, including PCH, also get directly involved in saving properties through loan funds, buying and rehabbing properties, and otherwise helping owners take care of their property.
Hopefully that helps you understand who's who in the preservation family tree, and how we all work together to protect local, state, and national historic treasures.