A. Olympic Wildland Burial Grounds (OWBG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jefferson Land Trust. That means it’s a limited liability company with one owner, Jefferson Land Trust. OWBG is a local organization that will offer conservation burial and memorial forest options that will allow someone to remember their loved ones and conserve and restore land at the same time.
A. To provide a meaningful way to weave death and natural burial practices into local land restoration and stewardship.
A. Through our conservation burial ground and memorial forest options, we strive to restore and nurture local biodiversity while creating a serene space for honoring loved ones. Committed to fostering community connections, we aim to provide equitable access for all, ensuring that each visitor finds solace, inspiration, and a shared purpose in preserving our natural heritage for generations to come.
A. Conservation burial is a type of natural or green burial that helps preserve, enhance, and restore a natural area in conjunction with a conservation organization that guarantees the preservation of the burial ground in perpetuity.
A. Jefferson Land Trust is a private community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving open space, forests, habitat, fish-bearing streams, and working farmland. Part of this work includes restoring lands that have been disturbed to improve their ecological values.
Through OWBG, the Land Trust is pursuing the creation of conservation burial grounds to:
A. Burial sites will not be visibly marked, but each will have a unique GPS point, and photographs of the burial site that include permanent features will also be archived. Additionally, metal markers may be buried near the surface to allow a metal detector to locate the exact perimeter of burial sites. Native plants, including trees and shrubs, will be planted at burial sites as part of the restoration effort for the properties. Complete, permanent records of burial site locations with names and dates will be kept by OWBG.
A. Although some burial grounds use this practice, OWBG will not reuse burial plots at its conservation burial grounds, since this would interfere with our restoration efforts.
A. The OWBG board of managers and Jefferson Land Trust staff will design a restoration plan for the selected site, in consultation with habitat biologists. Within the restoration plan, sectors of the property will be identified for initial restoration and burial activities that avoid intact habitat and wetlands.
A. Organizing the properties into prioritized restoration zones will allow us to manage restoration of the properties according to long-term plans that will help the lands reach their greatest habitat potential.
In addition, some areas of the properties will not be suitable for burial as existing native habitat or sensitive areas could be disturbed by such activities.
A. No. Conservation burial only uses biodegradable materials, for example, shrouds or unvarnished wooden caskets.
A. Compostable caskets or shrouds are suitable for green burials if they’re made from nontoxic and readily biodegradable materials and substances.
A. A shroud burial is usually just that — a body wrapped in a biodegradable shroud lowered into a grave. While burial garments may be used, often by followers of certain religious customs, they’re neither required or discouraged as a matter of course. Some shroud burials also include a casket for ease of processionals and lowering.
A. No. Because embalming fluid slows decomposition, embalming is not used in conservation burial.
A. We plan to use Amish carts to transport remains from parking areas to burial sites. Family and friends are welcome to assist with the transport along with a procession of loved ones.
A. No. With burials at 3.5 feet deep, there’s no danger of contaminating potable water that’s generally found at around 100 feet below the surface. Mandatory setbacks from wetlands and neighboring wells will ensure that surface and subsurface water is not at risk.
A. As a general rule, the ideal burial depth for optimal decomposition conditions is 3.5 to 4 feet from the bottom of the grave to the soil horizon, which also guarantees an 18-24-inch barrier from the surface. By adding the displaced soil to the top of the grave in a mound, that depth is doubled until it gradually settles.
A. Soil is the best natural filter there is, binding organic compounds and making them unable to travel. Microorganisms in the soil break down any chemical compounds that remain in the body.
A. Depending on soil type, oxygen availability, and moisture present, it takes an average of six weeks to lose the majority of soft tissue through moisture absorption by the soil, and up to two years for complete decomposition. It may take up to 20 years for bones to absorb in moist soils. (See The Science Behind Green Burial.)
A. Well drained soils with some clay content to absorb organic compounds, and an active biological presence of bacteria are ideal for promoting efficient decomposition. This allows for aerobic decay, followed by anaerobic decay, resulting in rich soils high in nitrogen content and organic compounds.
A. No. There’s no evidence of animals digging up bodies in natural burial grounds when standard practices are followed, which include burying the body 3.5 feet deep.
A. No. Standard natural burial practices at 3.5 feet deep create at least an 18-inch odor barrier that prevents scent from escaping.
A. Once we have purchased a site, and secured the appropriate permits, we anticipate beginning operations within 18 months.
A. Burial density depends primarily on the type of cemetery and its space availability, and on the amount of usable burial land on a property. Wetlands, steep slopes, trails, habitat, pristine areas, protected and sensitive flora areas, trees, boulders, and other factors mapped out during planning will affect the total acreage practical for burial.
Approximately 300 burials per open and unimpeded acre over a hundred-year period would be the maximum allowed; but it would likely be much less given the above considerations.
A. Initial estimates are approximately $4,000 per plot, with a sliding scale offered for those with limited resources.
A. Conservation burial allows a body’s nutrients to mend the soil and feed the plants that are being used to restore the site. The fees paid for a burial go toward the purchase of restoration materials and stewardship of the site in a manner that’s consistent with the conservation easement held on a property.
As burials take place, native plants placed at each location not only serve as a memorial but will slowly restore the site to a native northwest environment.
Any fees collected in excess of what is needed for the burial ground’s maintenance and restoration may go toward supporting other Jefferson Land Trust conservation projects.
A. We expect to have an arrangement with a preferred local funeral home, but we will be happy to work with any funeral home that agrees to follow our burial policies.
Although funeral homes provide valuable services, such as completing paperwork, providing refrigeration, and transporting remains, “home funerals” will also be allowed in accordance with applicable laws. A home funeral allows the family to retain possession of their loved one’s body after death, as long as mandatory state paperwork is completed, and proper protocols are followed.
A. Home funerals, which allow families to care for a decedent and all aspects of a funeral at home, were quite common in the U.S. up until the 1930s. For home funerals, family and friends, next of kin, or a legally designated agent retain custody and control of the body for the time period between death and disposition (burial or cremation). This is sometimes referred to as home vigil or DIY funeral.
A home funeral involves bathing and dressing the body, and using dry ice, Techni-ice, or another cooling mechanism as a preservative. The home funeral guidebook from the Home Funeral Alliance may provide education and support either prior to or during this time period.
A. Funerals that combine conventional funeral practices with home funeral and/or green burial practices may include the use of a funeral director for certain aspects of care, such as obtaining, completing, and filing paperwork or transporting the body. Blended funerals offer families more options, especially when certain options are not available in their area.
A. Yes, we expect that families will be welcome to help with opening and closing the burial site, planting pre-approved native plants at the site, and even volunteering with staff members to care for the property into the future.