Plans for Napa County’s first green burial cemetery, hailed by proponents as a natural extension of land conservation work, are meeting resistance from Howell Mountain residents who say the project could ruin the area’s water system and contribute to dangerous traffic conditions.
The county is in the midst of reviewing the project, presented by advocates as an ecological alternative to a traditional cemetery since it uses only biodegradable materials in burials and not embalming chemicals.
Proposed by Eternal Preserve Holdings LLC on roughly 109 acres at 1225 Howell Mountain Road, south of Angwin, the project would add eight interment areas totaling about 16 acres along with publicly available trails, a new well, and a welcome center with exterior restrooms and parking spots. The Howell Mountain Cemetery project would involve demolishing two existing cabins in the area, and renting an off-site office in downtown St. Helena to manage sales and daily operations of the cemetery…