Green Burial/Backyard burial

What is Green Burial?

Hybrid Cemeteries

Hybrid Cemeteries are conventional cemeteries offering the option for burial without the need for a vault (partial, inverted or otherwise), a vault lid, concrete box, slab or partitioned liner. Hybrid Cemeteries shall not require the embalming of decedents and must allow for any kind of eco-friendly burial containers including shrouds.

Natural Cemeteries

Natural Cemeteries achieve GBC certification by prohibiting the use of vaults (partial, inverted or otherwise), vault lids, concrete boxes, slabs or partitioned liners, and by prohibiting the burial of decedents embalmed with toxic chemicals, as well as by banning burial containers not made from natural/plant derived materials, plus an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and be designed, operated and maintained to produce a naturalistic appearance, based on use of plants and materials native to the region.

Conservation Burial Grounds

Conservation Burial Grounds, in addition to meeting all the requirements for a Natural Burial Grounds, a Conservation Cemetery must involve an established land trust organization that holds a conservation easement or deed restriction guaranteeing long-term stewardship of land designated for conservation.

MORE RESOURCES

Green Burial Council | Conservation Burial

Back Yard Burial | Private Family Cemetery in Unincorporated Yavapai County (outside city limits)

In 2007 AZ legislature updated the revised statute to state that all bodies must be buried in cemeteries recorded by the county registrar. Families can register a burial plot with Yavapai County Development Services and create Private Family Cemeteries. To accomplish this families may set up a preapplication meeting with county planning staff before submitting application and fees. Once the agency reviews the application surrounding property owners are notified of a 21 day comment period and then the case is submitted to the director for approval.

Application must include

Paper copy of scale map titled “Results of Survey” or similar, with parcel area and dimensions showing existing parcel lines and all proposed easements. Survey must be prepared by an Arizona Registered Land Surveyor.

Requirements

Cemetery Boundary to be delineated by a 3ft. fence
Cemetery to be recorded as a perpetual easement attached to main parcel.
Must meet primary setbacks (distance from property lines and wells/septic)

AZ Community Deathcare wants to remind you not to wait until someone has died to set up your family cemetery. The process can take over a month! We don’t want you to end up at the County Building when trying to grieve. If you have information about family cemeteries in other counties or cities across Arizona please reach out, we’d love to expand this resource.

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