Deeply Rooted - Building Community through Conservation Burial
Deeply Rooted - Building Community through Conservation Burial
Green Burial Massachusetts hosted Deeply Rooted on February 27, 2022 a video produced by the Conservation Burial Alliance. We were unable to record the session however you can watch the entire 29 minute video from the Conservation Burial Alliance website. Over 50 people joined us for the showing in February.
We would like to thank our dear friends and consultants on the VCC project, Heidi Hannapel and Jeff Masten of Land Matters and congratulate them on their newly created Bluestem Conservation Cemetery in North Carolina. As 'land trusters', Jeff and Heidi introduced the video and answered many of the questions listed below.
Green Burial Massachusetts hosted Deeply Rooted on February 27, 2022 a video produced by the Conservation Burial Alliance. We were unable to record the session however you can watch the entire 29 minute video from the Conservation Burial Alliance website. Over 50 people joined us for the showing in February.
We would like to thank our dear friends and consultants on the VCC project, Heidi Hannapel and Jeff Masten of Land Matters and congratulate them on their newly created Bluestem Conservation Cemetery in North Carolina. As 'land trusters', Jeff and Heidi introduced the video and answered many of the questions listed below.
What’s the difference between a Conservation Burial Ground and a Conservation Cemetery?
They are the same thing. Using the term “Burial Ground” or “Cemetery” is simply a word preference. The Valley Conservation Cemetery plans to use “Cemetery.”
Is there a difference between Conservation Burial and Green Burial?
Green burial is the burial practice where all clothing and products going into the ground with the body are biodegradable. There is no use of embalming with toxic chemicals or lining the grave with a concrete liner or steel vault.
Conservation burial uses green burial techniques. It also includes specific conservation standards including reduced burial density (about 1/3 of local, town cemeteries), more attention paid to habitat restoration and protection with a conservation restriction on each conservation cemetery. The standards are part of certification with the Green Burial Council, a national certifying nonprofit that supports green burial across North America.
What is the status on the Valley Conservation Cemetery?
We don’t have a Conservation Cemetery in any part of Massachusetts, yet. We continue our search for land in the Connecticut River Valley. Once land is found and approved by State and municipal authorities for the Valley Conservation Cemetery, Green Burial Massachusetts, and Kestrel Land Trust will seek certification as a Conservation Cemetery through the Green Burial Council (GBC). GBC certification is not required in order to offer green burial however consumers may read the exact standards a cemetery is committed to when it displays the GBC logo.
What is a Conservation Restriction and what does it mean for a Cemetery?
A conservation restriction is a legally enforceable agreement that ensures permanent protection of specific conservation values while permitting limited land uses (e.g. forestry). In Massachusetts, all conservation restrictions are reviewed by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs under the Division of Conservation Services (DCS). They must also receive local approvals from Select Boards and Conservation Commissions. For more details visit: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/conservation-restriction-review-program
The partnership between Green Burial Massachusetts and Kestrel Land Trust will show Kestrel Land Trust holds a permanent conservation restriction that guarantees the cemetery property will never be developed (built upon) and it ensures the owner of the cemetery (Green Burial Massachusetts Cemetery, Inc.) will uphold land conservation values as specified by the conservation restriction.
How will the sales revenue be used? Will it be used to buy land or pay for restoration and management?
In Massachusetts, sales of burial plots will be used for cemetery operations and funding a cemetery endowment. The use of these funds is restricted per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 114 Section 5. With every sale, the Valley Conservation Cemetery (VCC) plans to request an optional donation that will seed future land conservation within the Connecticut River Valley.
In other New England states and depending on state cemetery laws, fees from the sales of burial plots may be used to support future conservation and restoration of land. In Maine, Kennebec Land Trust’s Baldwin Hill Conservation Cemetery, was GBC certified in 2021 as a conservation cemetery. They are unique in that the Land Trust, a 501 (C)(3) charitable non-profit corporation created a non-profit cemetery entity, a 501 (C)(13). Very few land trusts are willing to take on the role of cemetery owner and manager. To read more about cemetery operations at Baldwin Hill, visit their website on partners and operations.
What are differences between Conventional, Hybrid, Natural, and Conservation Cemeteries?
A Conventional Cemetery is most likely your local town cemetery with a bylaw stating that graves are to be lined with concrete grave liners or vaults. Cemetery operators typically don’t know if a body has been embalmed or not; therefore, a bylaw pertaining to embalming, in most cases, will not be present. There is no state law that requires embalming. The density of burials on an acre of land is typically 1000 - 1200 burials per acre. (NOTE: Some people also use the term ‘traditional’ when referring to today’s conventional cemeteries).
A Hybrid Cemetery is a conventional cemetery that allows green burial. Those burials may occur in a different section of the conventional cemetery or interspersed throughout the cemetery. The density of burials on an acre of land is typically 1000 - 1200 burials per acre.
A Natural Cemetery is a cemetery that practices only green burial. Typically, these cemeteries have a less manicured look than a conventional or hybrid cemetery and practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM). To receive GBC certification, an Ecological Impact Assessment (EIA) must be completed. The EIA requires a property baseline document including a review of existing ecological conditions and sensitive area analysis. The density of burials on an acre of land is 500 - 600 burials per acre.
A Conservation Cemetery is a Natural Cemetery with additional protection enforceable via a conservation restriction (per GBC standards) that runs in perpetuity with the land. A government agency or nonprofit conservation organization monitors conservation values and the permitted limited land uses. The density of burials on an acre of land is 300 - 400 burials per acre.
Sharing the Beautiful and Inspiring Deeply Rooted Video
We’ve had several requests from viewers to share this video with others, including land trust organizations. The video was created by the Conservation Burial Alliance (CBA) for the 2021 Land Trust Alliance Rally and can be viewed from the CBA website.
I am curious to know why Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve (http://www.naturalburial.org/) outside of Ithaca, NY was not included in this video?
Greensprings is a beautiful cemetery. As defined by the Green Burial Council, Greensprings is a not-for-profit Natural Burial Ground. At this point in time, Greensprings is not associated with a land trust organization although we understand they may be partnering with one in the future.
How do burials occur in winter? Do you need special equipment?
The Valley Conservation Cemetery (VCC) plans to use a backhoe for digging graves at all times of year. Winter burials are up to each cemetery. Prior to machinery being used to open graves in the frozen earth, tombs with lockable doors were used to store bodies until the ground was workable. Many conservation cemeteries allow families to fill in or close the grave as part of the ceremony. Fewer cemeteries allow funeral participants share in the digging of the grave due to the fear of liability issues (i.e., someone falling into the grave and getting hurt while digging).
I have heard that there are places in MA where one can have a green burial; Mount Auburn, Westford, and a few other town-owned cemeteries.
People passionate about land conservation love the idea of being buried in a protected and beautiful landscape. Most people, however, want to be buried near where they have lived. Green Burial Massachusetts maintains a crowd-sourced list of cemeteries offering green burial. This list receives occasional updates provided from people like you who research cemeteries in their city or town and then submit the information to us.
Plan ahead. Creating green burial options closer to your home requires just as much planning as creating a new conservation cemetery.
Speak to your local cemetery manager or cemetery commission to find out if green burial is allowed in your town. You may have to go through months or even years before it is approved. Bylaws may need to be revised and approved at a town meeting; grave diggers willing to perform green burial may need to be found; pricing, markers and maintenance issues may need to be discussed. Decisions about where green burial graves will be located within the cemetery need to be resolved. Call your cemetery today and open a dialog about green burial.
Additional information on Greening Your Local Cemetery may be found on GBM’s website.
If embalming is not allowed, how do you deal with delays between death and burial.
Embalming is a temporary preservative, as is cooling for the body. A burial occurring within three (3) to four (4) days after death only requires that a body be kept cool. Some funeral homes have refrigeration facilities that can hold a body after death and before burial. The Green Burial Council (GBC) certifies funeral homes offering green services and products. There are a few funeral homes in MA certified by the GBC.
Additionally, there are people in Massachusetts who support families to prepare and keep the body at home before burial. They are known as home funeral guides, deathcare educators, and death doulas. Check the National Home Funeral Alliance for more information and visit GBM’s Products and Services webpage.
One of the featured Conservation Cemeteries in North Carolina seemed to have lots of streams and wetlands on the parcel. What are the hydrological requirements for a green burial ground?
Water is one of the key features that adds to the beauty and restorative powers of place, and it is a vital resource for human health. Siting a cemetery to protect private and public water supplies is the first requirement. Consequently, approval for a new cemetery, requires approvals from the MA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the local board of health, conservation commissions and depending upon the town Select, Planning and Zoning Boards.
Additionally, adhering to and exceeding the setback requirements according to Massachusetts Wetlands Protections Act is of paramount importance when creating a cemetery both for the beauty of the land and to ensure the successful decomposition of the human body.
For more about Carolina Memorial Sanctuary (featured in the video) and the wetlands restoration visit: https://conservingcarolina.org/new-life-in-the-cemetery/
While I have been aware of the benefits to the earth of green burial, this video, more than other presentations on this topic I have seen, very eloquently showed the benefits of green burial to the surviving friends and family, in enabling enhanced opportunities to participate in the actual ceremony itself: digging the grave, decorating the shroud/casket. etc.
Yes, isn’t it beautiful. The physical labor of ‘laying someone to rest’ is cathartic. If you want to watch it again, go here.
Has anyone considered using power line rights of way? It could rehabilitate those otherwise ugly clearcut areas.
It would be great to rehabilitate those areas, however, permission from a power company would be needed. Additionally, in Massachusetts, cemetery land must be owned by a non-profit cemetery entity. Having said that, it is possible that once land in the Connecticut River Valley is found for a conservation cemetery, that piece of land could already include an existing easement for power lines. So, perhaps there is hope of rehabilitating an area like that.
How can people watching help locate suitable land to consider for a conservation cemetery?
If you or someone you know is considering selling, let us know. We have been searching long enough to know that not all these characteristics may be found on one property. Several parcels may be combined to achieve the 50 – 100 contiguous acres we are seeking and only a smaller percentage of those will be suitable for burial.
Specifically, we are seeking a mix of fields and forest, adjacency to conserved land, wildlife connectivity, native habitat protection, and/or with cultural significance and inspiring views.
This Valley Conservation Cemetery vision is shared by so many of us. Let’s create it. Thank you for your help.
GREEN BURIAL MASSACHUSETTS
Judith Lorei and Candace Currie
[email protected] or call (617) 393-5011
KESTREL LAND TRUST
Kristin DeBoer, Executive Director
[email protected] or call (413) 549-1097
They are the same thing. Using the term “Burial Ground” or “Cemetery” is simply a word preference. The Valley Conservation Cemetery plans to use “Cemetery.”
Is there a difference between Conservation Burial and Green Burial?
Green burial is the burial practice where all clothing and products going into the ground with the body are biodegradable. There is no use of embalming with toxic chemicals or lining the grave with a concrete liner or steel vault.
Conservation burial uses green burial techniques. It also includes specific conservation standards including reduced burial density (about 1/3 of local, town cemeteries), more attention paid to habitat restoration and protection with a conservation restriction on each conservation cemetery. The standards are part of certification with the Green Burial Council, a national certifying nonprofit that supports green burial across North America.
What is the status on the Valley Conservation Cemetery?
We don’t have a Conservation Cemetery in any part of Massachusetts, yet. We continue our search for land in the Connecticut River Valley. Once land is found and approved by State and municipal authorities for the Valley Conservation Cemetery, Green Burial Massachusetts, and Kestrel Land Trust will seek certification as a Conservation Cemetery through the Green Burial Council (GBC). GBC certification is not required in order to offer green burial however consumers may read the exact standards a cemetery is committed to when it displays the GBC logo.
What is a Conservation Restriction and what does it mean for a Cemetery?
A conservation restriction is a legally enforceable agreement that ensures permanent protection of specific conservation values while permitting limited land uses (e.g. forestry). In Massachusetts, all conservation restrictions are reviewed by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs under the Division of Conservation Services (DCS). They must also receive local approvals from Select Boards and Conservation Commissions. For more details visit: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/conservation-restriction-review-program
The partnership between Green Burial Massachusetts and Kestrel Land Trust will show Kestrel Land Trust holds a permanent conservation restriction that guarantees the cemetery property will never be developed (built upon) and it ensures the owner of the cemetery (Green Burial Massachusetts Cemetery, Inc.) will uphold land conservation values as specified by the conservation restriction.
How will the sales revenue be used? Will it be used to buy land or pay for restoration and management?
In Massachusetts, sales of burial plots will be used for cemetery operations and funding a cemetery endowment. The use of these funds is restricted per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 114 Section 5. With every sale, the Valley Conservation Cemetery (VCC) plans to request an optional donation that will seed future land conservation within the Connecticut River Valley.
In other New England states and depending on state cemetery laws, fees from the sales of burial plots may be used to support future conservation and restoration of land. In Maine, Kennebec Land Trust’s Baldwin Hill Conservation Cemetery, was GBC certified in 2021 as a conservation cemetery. They are unique in that the Land Trust, a 501 (C)(3) charitable non-profit corporation created a non-profit cemetery entity, a 501 (C)(13). Very few land trusts are willing to take on the role of cemetery owner and manager. To read more about cemetery operations at Baldwin Hill, visit their website on partners and operations.
What are differences between Conventional, Hybrid, Natural, and Conservation Cemeteries?
A Conventional Cemetery is most likely your local town cemetery with a bylaw stating that graves are to be lined with concrete grave liners or vaults. Cemetery operators typically don’t know if a body has been embalmed or not; therefore, a bylaw pertaining to embalming, in most cases, will not be present. There is no state law that requires embalming. The density of burials on an acre of land is typically 1000 - 1200 burials per acre. (NOTE: Some people also use the term ‘traditional’ when referring to today’s conventional cemeteries).
A Hybrid Cemetery is a conventional cemetery that allows green burial. Those burials may occur in a different section of the conventional cemetery or interspersed throughout the cemetery. The density of burials on an acre of land is typically 1000 - 1200 burials per acre.
A Natural Cemetery is a cemetery that practices only green burial. Typically, these cemeteries have a less manicured look than a conventional or hybrid cemetery and practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM). To receive GBC certification, an Ecological Impact Assessment (EIA) must be completed. The EIA requires a property baseline document including a review of existing ecological conditions and sensitive area analysis. The density of burials on an acre of land is 500 - 600 burials per acre.
A Conservation Cemetery is a Natural Cemetery with additional protection enforceable via a conservation restriction (per GBC standards) that runs in perpetuity with the land. A government agency or nonprofit conservation organization monitors conservation values and the permitted limited land uses. The density of burials on an acre of land is 300 - 400 burials per acre.
Sharing the Beautiful and Inspiring Deeply Rooted Video
We’ve had several requests from viewers to share this video with others, including land trust organizations. The video was created by the Conservation Burial Alliance (CBA) for the 2021 Land Trust Alliance Rally and can be viewed from the CBA website.
I am curious to know why Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve (http://www.naturalburial.org/) outside of Ithaca, NY was not included in this video?
Greensprings is a beautiful cemetery. As defined by the Green Burial Council, Greensprings is a not-for-profit Natural Burial Ground. At this point in time, Greensprings is not associated with a land trust organization although we understand they may be partnering with one in the future.
How do burials occur in winter? Do you need special equipment?
The Valley Conservation Cemetery (VCC) plans to use a backhoe for digging graves at all times of year. Winter burials are up to each cemetery. Prior to machinery being used to open graves in the frozen earth, tombs with lockable doors were used to store bodies until the ground was workable. Many conservation cemeteries allow families to fill in or close the grave as part of the ceremony. Fewer cemeteries allow funeral participants share in the digging of the grave due to the fear of liability issues (i.e., someone falling into the grave and getting hurt while digging).
I have heard that there are places in MA where one can have a green burial; Mount Auburn, Westford, and a few other town-owned cemeteries.
People passionate about land conservation love the idea of being buried in a protected and beautiful landscape. Most people, however, want to be buried near where they have lived. Green Burial Massachusetts maintains a crowd-sourced list of cemeteries offering green burial. This list receives occasional updates provided from people like you who research cemeteries in their city or town and then submit the information to us.
Plan ahead. Creating green burial options closer to your home requires just as much planning as creating a new conservation cemetery.
Speak to your local cemetery manager or cemetery commission to find out if green burial is allowed in your town. You may have to go through months or even years before it is approved. Bylaws may need to be revised and approved at a town meeting; grave diggers willing to perform green burial may need to be found; pricing, markers and maintenance issues may need to be discussed. Decisions about where green burial graves will be located within the cemetery need to be resolved. Call your cemetery today and open a dialog about green burial.
Additional information on Greening Your Local Cemetery may be found on GBM’s website.
If embalming is not allowed, how do you deal with delays between death and burial.
Embalming is a temporary preservative, as is cooling for the body. A burial occurring within three (3) to four (4) days after death only requires that a body be kept cool. Some funeral homes have refrigeration facilities that can hold a body after death and before burial. The Green Burial Council (GBC) certifies funeral homes offering green services and products. There are a few funeral homes in MA certified by the GBC.
Additionally, there are people in Massachusetts who support families to prepare and keep the body at home before burial. They are known as home funeral guides, deathcare educators, and death doulas. Check the National Home Funeral Alliance for more information and visit GBM’s Products and Services webpage.
One of the featured Conservation Cemeteries in North Carolina seemed to have lots of streams and wetlands on the parcel. What are the hydrological requirements for a green burial ground?
Water is one of the key features that adds to the beauty and restorative powers of place, and it is a vital resource for human health. Siting a cemetery to protect private and public water supplies is the first requirement. Consequently, approval for a new cemetery, requires approvals from the MA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the local board of health, conservation commissions and depending upon the town Select, Planning and Zoning Boards.
Additionally, adhering to and exceeding the setback requirements according to Massachusetts Wetlands Protections Act is of paramount importance when creating a cemetery both for the beauty of the land and to ensure the successful decomposition of the human body.
For more about Carolina Memorial Sanctuary (featured in the video) and the wetlands restoration visit: https://conservingcarolina.org/new-life-in-the-cemetery/
While I have been aware of the benefits to the earth of green burial, this video, more than other presentations on this topic I have seen, very eloquently showed the benefits of green burial to the surviving friends and family, in enabling enhanced opportunities to participate in the actual ceremony itself: digging the grave, decorating the shroud/casket. etc.
Yes, isn’t it beautiful. The physical labor of ‘laying someone to rest’ is cathartic. If you want to watch it again, go here.
Has anyone considered using power line rights of way? It could rehabilitate those otherwise ugly clearcut areas.
It would be great to rehabilitate those areas, however, permission from a power company would be needed. Additionally, in Massachusetts, cemetery land must be owned by a non-profit cemetery entity. Having said that, it is possible that once land in the Connecticut River Valley is found for a conservation cemetery, that piece of land could already include an existing easement for power lines. So, perhaps there is hope of rehabilitating an area like that.
How can people watching help locate suitable land to consider for a conservation cemetery?
If you or someone you know is considering selling, let us know. We have been searching long enough to know that not all these characteristics may be found on one property. Several parcels may be combined to achieve the 50 – 100 contiguous acres we are seeking and only a smaller percentage of those will be suitable for burial.
Specifically, we are seeking a mix of fields and forest, adjacency to conserved land, wildlife connectivity, native habitat protection, and/or with cultural significance and inspiring views.
This Valley Conservation Cemetery vision is shared by so many of us. Let’s create it. Thank you for your help.
GREEN BURIAL MASSACHUSETTS
Judith Lorei and Candace Currie
[email protected] or call (617) 393-5011
KESTREL LAND TRUST
Kristin DeBoer, Executive Director
[email protected] or call (413) 549-1097