Historic preservation is available through ‘Moose Plate’ program

The 2027 Conservation License Plate grant round for preservation projects of publicly owned historic resources in New Hampshire has opened, the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources announced recently.

Eligible projects include the preservation of significant publicly owned historic resources, including buildings, structures, objects, sites, cultural landscapes and properties that contribute to historic districts.

The resource to be preserved must be listed in or determined by the NHDHR to be eligible for listing in the National or the NH State Registers of Historic Places, and the project must meet the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties.

New Hampshire municipalities, counties and state agencies as well as New Hampshire-registered nonprofit organizations operating in publicly owned buildings in the state are eligible to apply for grants through the program, which is funded through the sales of New Hampshire’s “Moose” license plates.

The first step in the NHDHR Conservation License Plate grant process requires that applicants submit a letter of intent, due Oct. 16, that briefly describes the project and confirms the resource to be preserved is publicly owned. Applicants will receive a reply within a week of the letter being received by the NHDHR; those whose projects are determined eligible for funding and who wish to complete the application process have until Nov. 13 to submit the full application.

Projects seeking funding through the NHDHR’s 2027 Conservation License Plate grant program must start no earlier than Jan. 1, 2027, and be completed by Dec. 31, 2028. Grantees are required to submit progress reports to the NHDHR every six months detailing project status, as well as a final report.

Grant requests may be made for up to $20,000 and no match is required. Fifty percent of the grant award is provided when the application is approved and the additional 50% is awarded upon project completion.

To learn more about the NHDHR’s Conservation License Plate grant program, including the grant manual, visit the “Grants & Incentives” tab on nhdhr.dncr.nh.gov. For information about New Hampshire’s “Moose Plate” program, visit mooseplate.com.