Natural burial is a legal option in Michigan
A growing number of cemeteries throughout Michigan allow natural burial. Additional existing cemeteries can also often be easily converted with a little education and a bit of peer pressure from local residents. Above, you’ll find a map of cemeteries that we know of that currently support natural burial as well as some ongoing efforts to convert cemeteries or establish new ones.
Do you know of more? Add them to our map! Use the pink + button in the upper right hand corner. We’ll verify and add as soon as possible!
Types of Burial Grounds
Generally speaking, there are three broad levels of green burial grounds. They are as follows:
Hybrid Burial Ground | A conventional cemetery that offers the essential aspects of natural burial, either throughout the cemetery or in a designated section. This is the most common type of natural burial option in Michigan. We have many of these, including a few certified by the Green Burial Council. Check out the map above. |
Natural Burial Ground | A cemetery dedicated in full to sustainable practices/protocols that conserve energy, minimize waste, and do not allow the use of: toxic chemicals, any part of a vault (lid, slab, or partitioned liner), markers made of non-native stone, and burial containers not made from natural/plant derived materials. We have a few of these, certified by the Green Burial Council. Check out the map above |
Conservation Burial Ground | A type of natural cemetery that is established in partnership with a conservation organization and includes a conservation management plan that upholds best practices and provides perpetual protection of the land according to a conservation easement or deed restriction. We don’t have one of these yet in Michigan, but there are a few efforts working to establish a conservation burial ground. Check out the West Michigan Burial Forest (Near Grand Rapids), which is furthest along. Jeremiah Commons (aiming to establish near Jackson, MI) is another early effort. |
*Adapted from the Green Burial Council
Converting a Cemetery Near You
More and more existing cemeteries are converting to hybrid cemeteries, enabling natural burial alongside conventional burial. Do you have a cemetery nearby that you were hoping to be buried at? Ask them about supporting natural burial! Refer them to us to help them learn more.
Green Burial on Private Land
Michigan state law allows for the creation of private burial grounds of less than an acre outside city or village limits. (Mich. Comp. Laws § 128.111.) The property must be surveyed and recorded with the county clerk; it will then be exempt from taxation. (See Mich. Comp. Laws § 128.112.)
Before conducting a home burial or establishing a family cemetery, you will need zoning approval and a permit from the local health department
How do I have a Natural Burial?
Michigan is one of only a handful of states requiring the use of a funeral director. This makes using a funeral director supportive of natural burial absolutely essential. We’re working with the deathcare community throughout Michigan to generate a more comprehensive directory of family-run funeral homes throughout the state that are supportive of natural burial, end of life doulas, and re-villaging the care of our dead. Stay tuned for this, and please feel free to reach out to me directly for recommendations on funeral homes, doulas, and other deathcare resources near you, regardless of where you live or if you are interested in burial baskets. The practice of natural burial should be more readily available to all.