What
You Should Know About Contemporary Cemetery BurialsGreen burial grounds adopt principles of restoration ecology, to eventually become natural wilderness preserves. Restoration ecologists study the land to learn what is native, what had invaded the land, what wildlife existed, and plan to encourage the restoration and preservation of the grounds. Land is maintained without chemicals or nonnative plantings.
If a contemporary cemetery has been chosen for the burial, a concrete grave
liner or burial vault is usually required by the cemetery. (See the red
line of image A left. This is the burial vault or grave liner).The casket
and vault cannot prevent the embalming fluids from escaping.
Claiming a religious objection to the grave
liner can help you to supercede the cemetery’s policy. At the very
least, many cemeteries choose to accommodate this religious objection
by flipping the grave liner upside down and leaving it uncapped so that
the body or the bottom of the casket is laid directly on the soil surface
at the grave bottom. This satisfies both the requirements (See image B
above. Note: grave liner, indicated in red, is open at bottom).
However, at green burial grounds or for home burials,
there is no need for containers. This provides a more direct return to
the soil. (See image C left. In this instance, a shroud is often used).
Thousands of individuals pass away unexpectedly leaving without a will, passing the decision of how to handle their remains to the next generation. Families move, couples get divorced and no one visits their local cemetery.
Plot space is also quickly running out across coastal America where the majority of the population lives.
Green Burial Grounds use indigenous rock or planting a shrub as a markers. These lands are preserved and function as parks for life to thrive. While the graves disappear into the landscape. Locations are noted with Global Positioning System coordinates. (GIS) also helps pinpoint your loved one's final resting place.
Some request a donation to a land-conservation organization instead of flowers.
Of course, permits are required. No one may dispose of human remains without a death certificate being filed with the local county registrar of births and deaths and a disposition permit obtained from the same office. The permit will specify the proposed location of burial.
Many states are silent on this issue. Most counties ask for a certain acreage amount, a distance of at least 150’ from a water supply, and at least two feet of earth on top. Before burial, the person in charge must sign the burial-transit permit and return it within 10 days to the registration of the county in which the death occurred. The practice of private property burial is generally discouraged because of the potential affect on the property value. Because the practice is not common yet, society is still uncomfortable with it. Neighbors might find it disturbing to watch someone bring a body home, hold a funeral in their home, and then bury the body in their yard. However, a number of planned “Green Burial Preserves” are currently in development throughout the country to fulfill the demand for natural burials.
See map to confirm information on your state.
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