Hello: In Arkansas there is a law that protects burial places. This law specifically provides protection for graveyards. It applies to burial places with five commercial grave markers. But I believe that commercial grave markers could apply to old ones with names on them, because who's to say that they were not purchased from someone who made a living making them? It is Senate Bill 505, Act 1317 of 1995 which states: "An act to amend Arkansas code 5-39-212 regarding the unlawful fencing of cemeteries to change the definition of cemeteries, to assure greater access to authorize county judges to improve and maintain access roads leading to cemeteries and for other purposes: Subtitle: To amend the Arkansas law regarding the unlawful fencing of cemeteris, to permit greater access and to allow counties to improve cemetery access roads. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS Section 1, Arkansas Code 5-39-212 is amended to read as follows: "5-39-212. Cemeteries - Access - Debris - Disturbance (a) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, partnership or association to: (1) Construct any fence on any property in such manner as to enclose any cemetery unless suitable access by automobile to the cemetery is provided by gate or otherwise. The word "cemetery" as used in this subsection is not intended to apply to any private family burial plot which contains less than five (5) commercial grave markers. Northing in this section prohibits the placement of a fence around any cemetery for the purpose of defining boundaries or protection of grave sites: (2) Place any brush, tree tops, rubbish or other unsightly debris on any cemetery grounds, or to disturb, damage, or carry away any marker in a cemetery. (b) Any person, firm, corporation, partnership or association violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined in any sum not less than ten dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, and every day that the violation shall exist shall be a separate offense. SECTION 2: The county judges of the several county governments in Arkansas shall be authorized to improve and maintain any roads across public or private lands used or to be used for access to a cemetery. The cemetery access roads shall be constructed to a standard and nature to permit their use by automobiles. A cemetery as used in this section means any burying place for the dead, a burial plot, a graveyard, or any land, public or private, dedicated and used for the interment of human remains, which includes at least five (5) commercial grave markers. SECTION 3: All provisions of this act of general and permanent nature are amendatory to the Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated and the Arkansas Code Revision Commission shall incorporate the same in the Code. SECTION 4: If any provisions of this act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or application, and to this end the provisions of this act are declared to be severable. SECTION 5: All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. Approved: Jim Guy Tucker, Governor 4/14/95 To anyone who might want to contact me or who has an old JUNO e-mail address, please note my new e-mail is: jrussell44@aol.com. Hope this helps answer some questions about cemetery protection. Joy Russell Madison County Genealogical and Historical Society ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. - ------------------------------ --part2_73.1f43841.260ffb28_boundary-- --part1_73.1f43841.260fffd5_boundary--