(The Center Square) – Washington state Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, is hoping the third try is the charm for legislation that would allow families to bury loved ones on privately owned land under certain conditions.
Previous attempts during the last two legislative sessions stalled over concerns raised by the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, or DAHP, but Walsh told The Center Square during a Monday phone interview that he believes House Bill 1065 addresses those concerns.
“We made some specific changes that have to do with complying with state and federal law with wetlands and setbacks and other land use issues,” Walsh said.
He explained family burial plots have long been a tradition in Washington, particularly important to Native American tribes, but current law mandates burials be conducted exclusively by registered cemetery corporations.
“It is a practice in the tradition of a number of our Native tribes in Washington state, and that’s why the bill from the start has had good strong support from tribal communities,” Walsh noted.