DOVER-FOXCROFT – This picturesque town is proud of its heritage, so much so that it has now become one of three Maine settlements designated among Preserve America Communities.

That recent designation could bring federal grants to the town for a variety of activities related to heritage tourism and innovative approaches to the use of historic properties as educational and economic assets.

Gardiner and Camden also are Preserve America Communities.

“We have a lot of history here in the community, and we have a real chance to preserve a lot of the character in the future, and having the ability to participate with federal programs will be a big help,” Dover-Foxcroft Town Manager Jack Clukey said Thursday.

Clukey said a new sign announcing the town’s designation as a Preserve America Community soon will be erected in town.

First lady Laura Bush is the honorary chairman for Preserve America, an initiative signed into law in 2003 by President Bush.

When the initiative was launched, it was announced “that communities across the nation would be recognized for protecting and celebrating their heritage, using their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization, and encouraging people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs.”

To receive the designation, which is done through an application process, a town must meet certain criteria on how it has supported cultural and historic projects.

For Dover-Foxcroft, that support was the assistance it gave in the preservation and re-opening of the historic Center Theatre, according to Bruce Milhans, spokesman for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C.

He also noted on Thursday that Dover-Foxcroft’s application acknowledged the two museums in town, the annual Civil War celebration held in July, and the work done by the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council’s Cultural Heritage and Ecotoursim Committee to promote the cultural and historic heritage in the local schools.

Congress approved up to $5 million for Preserve America grants in fiscal year 2006, according to Milhans. Individual grants range from $20,000 to $150,000.

Along with the designation and the ability to seek historic grants, the town received a certificate of recognition, authorization to use the Preserve America logo on signs, flags, banners, and promotional materials; a listing in a Web-based Preserve America Community directory; inclusion in national and regional press releases; and an official notification of designation to state tourism offices and visitor bureaus.