In case you are wondering what "green" burial is click here for our definition.
"Green Burial speaks to old-fashioned American values; thrift and simplicity," said Mark Harris, author of Grave Matters and the conference keynote. The confence on Oct 4 was a huge success. Prairie Wilderness plans to keep the momentum going.
Great job by Karen and the volunteers of Natural Transitions. Please visit their site at http://www.naturaltransitions.org/
Boulder Weekly, Feb 14-20, 2008
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Then, take your time, and peruse the rest of our site; it will still be here...
MISSION: To establish a low cost, low impact cemetery with natural landscaping.
To establish a wildlife refuge by raising money through selling burial rights in a low cost, low impact cemetery.
NEED: As humans, many of us start thinking beyond family to the legacy we will leave behind. The question, “what can I do to make the world a better place?” is sometimes surprising by its urgency. For many millions of Americans, the world to help is the natural one.
A conventional cemetery contributes tons to land and water pollution.
Wildlife habitat is being replaced by many other uses, resulting in less land available to maintain healthy ecosystems. Migratory species as well as local ones suffer from the lack of resources.
OBJECTIVES: The union of a cemetery and wildlife refuge will protect the land, flora and fauna as long as it is a cemetery, and will eventually recreate a complete ecosystem. Prairie Wilderness Cemeteries will enable people to solve a practical problem, what to do with their bodies when they are done with them, while also satisfying the need to leave a legacy. After the first cemetery is opened, more will follow, smaller ones, larger ones, hopefully some contiguous to each other or to national grasslands or other conservation lands. Eventually, there will be a Nature Center, Memorial Wall, Museum, and Memory Hall. The Nature Center will sell guided horseback tours, have exhibits and movies explaining the prairie ecosystem, a designated walking trail, and sign up new members. The Memorial Wall, Museum and Memory Hall will provide places for personal remembrances in lieu of gravestones. Last, but not least, of our objectives is to stimulate the economy of the areas Prairie Wilderness Cemeteries locates in through tourism and jobs for nearby residents.
Our "Narrative" page contains our basic story up to our current situation, but in short:
Since we can't open the cemetery on the property we bought last fall, we are willing to sell this property in order to buy land on which we can open the cemetery. However, as you may have noticed, the market now is pretty bad for selling, so we should hold onto this place until there is some recovery. In the meantime, we are still trying to find a way to raise money, obtain land and start the cemetery.
Do you know of 10 or more acres bordered by a public road and owned by someone interested in green burial and/or land conservation, or who would just like to receive a bit of income from it? Please refer us; everyone will benefit when we reach a deal. There is a share of the income from a green cemetery which appropriately goes to the owner of the land, either as payments for the cemetery company to buy the land outright though gradually, or as the land owner's share of the income, pure and simple.
Thanks; please go to the Contacts page to reach us, or you can call 970-656-8412.
As we see it, one of the reasons for burial is to return the body to the earth, and green burial is simply stripped of the toxic and wasteful trappings commonly sold as routine procedure. In other words, we request no embalming, no impervious casket and no vault. We also use the term, "low impact" burial, to indicate that we plan minimal disturbance to the earth, the neighborhood, and your budget. Another way to describe our style is to call it "sustainable", because we will not use up land, we will save it, naturally.
On January 19th of 2008, the IRS sent us a letter to verify our tax exempt status, and to inform us that people may claim an income tax deduction for certain contributions. The effective date of exemption is February 28, 2006, and details about which contributions are eligible are found in the Internal Revenue Code, Section 170(c)(5). To quote the IRS letter of recognition, "the contributions must be voluntary and must be made to or for the use of a nonprofit cemetery whose funds are irrevocably dedicated to the care of the cemetery as a whole. A donor may not deduct a contribution made for the perpetual care of a particular lot or crypt. Furthermore, payments made to a cemetery company as a part of the purchase price of a burial lot or crypt, even though irrevocably dedicated to the perpetual care of the cemetery as a whole, are not deductible."