This year Ohio held its Statehood Day on March 1 outlining its legislative priorities touching upon various topics. The theme was "Strengthening Ohio through Heritage." Once again there was an emphasis on Ohio's early burial grounds, and learning what can be done to better protect and preserve them.
The bottom line is stated below.:
"Request: Establish an Ohio Burial Grounds Law Task Force to develop recommendations to modify Ohio law relating to unmarked, inactive, and abandoned burial grounds."
Note paragraphs in the right column that are enclosed within a red outlined box.:
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Many will recall that in 2014 Ohio established the "Ohio Cemetery Law Task Force."
I feel this task force was the most focused on cemeteries that I have seen since I began promoting awareness of the plight of inactive and abandoned cemeteries in 1996.
After a year of holding monthly meetings with in-person witnesses and written testimonies, by September, 2014 the task force prepared a 260 page report with its final recommendations. It was submitted to the governor, and the leaders of both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate.
The most significant improvement came a few years later with the passage of HB168 in 2018 that impacts active cemeteries Unfortunately, however, left out were cemeteries that are truly the most vulnerable; those with long standing unresolved problems and no burials in the past 25 years, rendering them inactive. Inactive and ineligible for receiving cemetery grant funds, ineligible for becoming registered where complaints can be made against those responsible for them and their care that could be heard by the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission. The same holds true for family cemeteries - they too are ineligible.
Therefore, an urgency persists for strengthening current cemetery laws; and passing new ones that can more effectively preserve and protect Ohio's most vulnerable and historic cemeteries and its earliest burial grounds. These sacred grounds are no longer respected; instead they are sadly neglected. They are vanishing due to repeated vandalism, lingering local apathy, and lack of funds to maintain them. Some become isolated by surrounding farmland. Descendants of those buried on them require permission from private owners to even visit them.
Like with other physical historic sites and structures, human burial sites for our departed loved ones - parents, grandparents, and earlier generations have lost their needed financial support and sustained interest to properly maintain them.
A firm commitment must come from local and state government officials to follow through on any task force's recommendations to enact 21st century laws that can translate into meaningful change ensuring a brighter future for Ohio's cemeteries regardless of their status or age. It is long over due to be done.
