STATE — The Maine Historic Preservation Commission is pleased to announce the opening of the 2022 Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grant round. The Commission anticipates awarding approximately $94,000 in one-to-one matching grants for National Register nominations, architectural or archaeological survey, or education, planning, development, or pre-development projects statewide. The minimum grant award is normally $5,000. Eligible historic buildings and sites are those that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places either individually or as contributing resources in a National Register-listed historic district. Eligible applicants are limited to state agencies, county governments, municipal governments, educational institutions, and private non-profit institutions as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Projects must be directed by persons with professional credentials as defined by the Department of the Interior, and must be completed by March 31, 2024. The deadline for applications is June 22.

The Commission’s HPF Grant Manual provides information about eligible projects and expenses, as well as the project selection process, including selection criteria. Funding priorities for 2022 include municipal or regional level planning for the effects of climate change on historic resources; providing planning assistance to CLG communities; diversifying identification and registration efforts to include everyone’s history; identifying and providing protection for particularly vulnerable resources; supporting pre-development, development and archaeology projects; and increasing awareness of historic preservation activities through education, outreach, publications and events. A complete list of funding priorities is available in the manual.

For an application form and grant manual, contact the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, 55 Capitol Street, 65 State House Station, Augusta, ME, 04333-0065, (207) 287-2132, or visit the Commission’s website at http://www.maine.gov/mhpc/grants. The Maine Historic Preservation Commission receives Federal financial assistance for the identification and protection of historic properties; under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U. S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or handicap in its federally assisted program.