This was posted on another site about the law concerning two days out of the year that allow you to visit cemeteries otherwise not accessable during the rest of the year. Interested citizens and descendants of those buried in cemeteries have the right by Texas law to visit these areas and maintain them. However, many locations are inaccessible and sometimes inconvenient to visit. With the establishment of two official visitation days each year, STC hopes to promote cooperation between property owners and those interested in these cemeteries. Guidelines for both property owners and visitors to the participating burial sites are unavailable. Suggested signage for property owners to post at the entrances of their land is also available to help guide the visitors. The first Sundays in the months of April and October were selected as dates for encouraging people to visit and help maintain the thousands of cemeteries around the state which are neglected or threatened. Property Owners Guidelines Visitation Day extends from 9am until 6pm. Please unlock your property for visiting descendants by 9am. If you can"t be present by 9am, please post instructions on how to access the property at the public street entrance for visiting families. For visibility, post signage at the public street access to your property. With this signage please post your name or the name of your representative, and how to contact you. Also, you can state any special considerations or conditions for your visitors to observe. By law, descendants have the right to ornament and decorate grave sites as they see fit. This may include (but is not limited to) flowers, clean-up of the site, erecting tombstones, or even a fence to prevent livestock from entering the grave site. We hope that you might consider allowing extended visitation privileges for major improvements to the site. You can lock up your property at 6pm, after the guests have left. STC appreciates your allowance of access to your property. We encourage visitors to respect this privilege. Visitors Guidelines Please respect this privilege and abide by the guidelines. Access by family members and descendants is limited to the hours of 9am until 6pm on Visitation Days. You may make additional arrangements with the property owner only if the parties are amenable. Access is limited to the burial site and the route to it. Please respect the privacy of the owners and their land. You may make additional arrangements with the property owner only if the parties are amenable - and please do so before the day you visit. No Aimprovements@ should be made without prior consent, and if additional days are needed for clean-up or improvements, make sure that these have been thoroughly discussed and agreed to before you undertake the project. Please leave by 6pm, and leave the cemetery as neat as when you arrived. Leave no improvements or ornamentation that contradict the property owner's stated wishes. SAVE TEXAS CEMETERIES, INC. Box 202975 * Austin, Texas 78720-2975 voice (512) 258-5688 or fax (512) 258-7116 http://members.aol.com/savegrave/ Tammy Owen Bastrop CO, TX Coordinator Bastropcc@aol.com http://www.rootsweb.com/~txbastro/bastrop.htm http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~txtammy/bastrop/bastropmain.html