First, if you have received a duplication of this email, please forgive me as we are trying to give widest dissemination. As you all know, legislation was submitted this year regarding old or abandoned cemeteries within Washington state. That legislation was passed unanimously through the House and the Senate and very quickly. Yesterday, Governor Gary Locke signed the legislation which means that in about 90 days, the legislation will become law (technically, 90 days after legislative session ends). Many thanks go to Representative Patricia Lantz, and her legislative aid, Dixie, for all their hard work; and to all of you who supported the legislation by writing your state senators and representatives or attended the hearings. For a fairly complete listing of cemeteries within Washington state, please visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~wapsgs/wsca.html . Our site is constantly being added to and it is hopeful that a search engine will be available in the near future to aid in locating a specific cemetery. While we do not carry transcription records of individual cemeteries, we do try to list who does have a transcription available. Information on the new law: The new law requires county auditors within the state to track cemeteries as they do all other properties. Genealogists have long tried to locate cemeteries in Washington hoping to locate an ancestor's gravesite; until now we have had to rely on the knowledge of individuals. Now, because cemeteries are tracked by county auditors, a genealogist may go to an auditor's office, ask about a cemetery and actually be told where it is. No more guessing and no more searching. Please understand, though, that it may take several months for county auditors to get up to speed on the cemeteries in their county. Washington State Cemetery Association is attempting to aid them by providing the required paperwork for each cemetery -- not an easy task. In addition, because a title/deed/whatever will carry the fact that a property is a cemetery or that a cemetery is located on the property, construction permits will not be granted for that property unless bodies are removed and reinterred elsewhere and the cemetery dedication removed. This requires permission of a county superior court. The new law also requires a county auditor be notified 60 days before filing with the superior court. Ideally, this will mean Washington state will not lose anymore of its old cemeteries. The new law is below my signature block. Please note that new or added law is between the plus signs (+). -------------- Andrea D. MacDonald "Andi" andimac@oz.net Washington State Cemetery Association http://www.rootsweb.com/~wapsgs/ The Crossman Society Endeavoring to Record Crossman History http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/1246 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON: {+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 65.04 RCW to read as follows: Any person who has knowledge of the existence of any cemetery, abandoned cemetery, historical cemetery, or historic grave that has not been dedicated pursuant to RCW 68.24.010 through 68.24.040 may file for recording, in the county in which the cemetery or grave is located, a notice of abandoned cemetery document providing notice of the existence of the cemetery or grave. Such document shall contain the legal description of the property, the approximate location of the cemetery or grave within the property, the name of the owner or reputed owner of the property, and the assessor's tax parcel or account number. The auditor or recording officer shall index the document to the names of the property owner and the person executing the document. Sec. 2. RCW 68.24.090 and 1987 c 331 s 34 are each amended to read as follows: Property dedicated to cemetery purposes shall be held and used exclusively for cemetery purposes, unless and until the dedication is removed from all or any part of it by an order and decree of the superior court of the county in which the property is situated, in a proceeding brought by the cemetery authority for that purpose and upon notice of hearing and proof satisfactory to the court: (1) That no interments were made in or that all interments have been removed from that portion of the property from which dedication is sought to be removed. (2) That the portion of the property from which dedication is sought to be removed is not being used for interment of human remains. (3) That notice of the proposed removal of dedication has been given {+ in writing to both +} the cemetery board (({- in writing -})) {+ and the office of archaeology and historic preservation. This notice must be given at least sixty days before filing the proceedings in superior court. The notice of the proposed removal of dedication shall be recorded with the auditor or recording officer of the county where the cemetery is located +} at least sixty days before filing the proceedings in superior court. Sec. 3. RCW 68.60.020 and 1990 c 92 s 2 are each amended to read as follows: Any cemetery, {+ abandoned cemetery, +} historical cemetery, or historic grave that has not been dedicated pursuant to RCW 68.24.030 and 68.24.040 shall be considered permanently dedicated and subject to RCW 68.24.070. Removal of dedication may only be made pursuant to RCW 68.24.090 and 68.24.100.