With just a handful of graveyards offering green burial options in Utah, a groundbreaking plan in eastern Summit County could pioneer the state’s first conservation cemetery.
The Oakley City Council is considering whether to approve a conservation easement on a 20-acre parcel near Pinion Lane and convert the land into a site for natural burials — meaning no embalming, no liners and no vaults.
But first, the Summit Land Conservancy, which is leading the effort alongside Millcreek-based Starks Funeral Parlor, will host an open house this week to answer questions about conservation cemeteries.
The land would still be city-owned under the proposal. However, it would be permanently protected from development under a conservation easement. Summit Land Conservancy would clean up and restore the property while creating some public access such as trails.
CEO Cheryl Fox said the benefits of a conservation cemetery include reducing carbon emissions, protecting the natural environment, providing affordable end-of-life options and creating community connection to the outdoors.
“Land conservation is expensive. Setting land aside means you don’t have the way to monetize it like you would if you could sell it to a developer or for some other purpose. So, we’re really always trying to be creative to find a win-win solution where you can protect open space and perhaps create an income stream,” she explained.
Starks Funeral Parlor also became certified as a green burial mortuary for the practice. There are different levels of cemetery certification standards ranging from hybrid, natural and conservation burial grounds.
Natural burials use operational practices that don’t have a long-term effect on soil health, plant diversity, water equality or ecological habitat while a fully certified conservation cemetery is committed to combining burial and land preservation efforts.
“A conservational burial is what is absolutely best for the environment, it’s better in terms of harsh chemicals and concrete vaults,” Fox said. “It’s really better to just be wrapped in an organic, biodegradable shroud or casket and be laid to rest naturally.”
The draft proposal called for 150 burials per acre with 60% of the space reserved for Oakley residents, but the actual need is expected to be a lot less. A 5-acre area would be used first before plots are expanded to the rest of the area. City residents could pay between $2,500 to $2,800 to be buried compared to $3,000-plus at a conventional cemetery.
Fox said there’s been a lot of great feedback from city officials and community members who are interested in exploring nontraditional options. However, she recognized not everyone is comfortable with the idea of green burials. There’s been great feedback so far, but the open house will be an opportunity to address any lingering concerns.
Representatives from the Summit County Health Department, Summit Land Conservancy and Starks Funeral Parlor will be in attendance. There will be a short presentation, followed by a Q&A session.
The nonprofit is also committed to conducting a site analysis to study the impacts of green burials on the soil and water health if the City Council is supportive. Fox affirmed the Summit Land Conservancy will not pursue the project on the site if the plan is not appropriate for the property.
“I encourage people to come out and ask the hard questions. If there’s something that creeps people out in these or something that seems really troubling, now is the time to come and ask,” Fox said.
The open house is scheduled from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday at Oakley City Hall, 960 W. Center Street. No formal action will be taken.
A public hearing would be scheduled sometime later. That will be the official format for community members to tell the City Council their opinion on the record. Officials would then be required to vote on the proposal.