I wanted to forward this on to the list, because it has to do with a bill (see below) for preserving the cemeteries. So many cemeteries are already in such bad shape, and many are just lost to time and deterioration. I haven't read this thoroughly yet, plan to and hope you'll do the same. Maybe we can improve the situation. Gloria Bronte Lane >Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2003 16:28:00 -0700 >X-From_: bccpg@quik.com Sun Mar 9 16:27:57 2003 >From: "Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group" <bccpg@quik.com> > >Dear Historical Preservationists: > >I am writing this letter on behalf of the Benton County Cemetery >Preservation Group and its members, but hopefully the outcome will not only >benefit our group and county, but the whole State of Arkansas. Our group was >establishing in 1996 to save our cemeteries. Our goals are (1) to document >each burial site through the GPS, photos, cemetery mapping, deed research, >affidavits, 911 mapping and filing documents at the Circuit Clerk's Office, >each city's Mayor's office and the County Judge's office in accordance with >state cemetery laws; (2) to help organize the maintenance and preservation >of cemeteries between local governments, land and cemetery owners and >descendants; and (3) to educate the general public and government officials >about the Arkansas state cemetery laws and preservation guidelines. In >trying to preserve our cemeteries we have encountered several obstacles, >many of them because of loopholes in current Arkansas laws. It became our >mission to not only preserve and document these cemeteries, but to >eventually ratify our state's laws to be more friendly to genealogists and >historical preservationists. > >These cemeteries are in immediate danger. It is sometimes hard enough to >prove a burial site, and then to have current laws working against you is >yet another obstacle. Our group has spent many years researching and writing >a bill to change all of this. It is based on some other state's laws and we >think it will aid in cemetery preservation. You can view the bill at: >http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003/public/HB2263.pdf. You may >also visit the homepage www.arkleg.state.ar.us to find out who your >representative and senator are. > >Just yesterday, our group met with the sponsor of the bill, Representative >Daryl Pace and made some changes. These changes will hopefully help to get >it passed in the legislature, and should be available by the end of this >week. We are already encountering opposition and need your help. Please read >through this and call your local representative and senator and support our >efforts. This bill will be a great tool in the future for cemetery >preservationists all over the state if it is passed. If you have any >questions, please send me an email or give me a call. Our group plans on >being in Little Rock when it goes to committee, over the next few days. If >you could please email me back and let me know if your organization would >support us, that would be of great help. If the legislators know that people >support this throughout the state it has a better chance of getting passed. > >Thank you for your time, and please let your legislators know how you feel! >Also, please forward this anywhere you think people might be able to help us >out! > >Respectfully, >Cassie Elliott >President >Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group