White Eagle Memorial Preserve Guidelines

Guidelines for Natural Burial

1. No embalming.

2. Caskets made of wicker, willow, wood, cardboard or other biodegradable materials only. No hardwoods, chemical varnishes, or stains.

3. Shrouds made of biodegradable material can be used. This includes cotton, wool, silk, hemp, linen, and untreated leather.

4. No concrete vaults or grave liners of any kind.

5. Families may assist in grave plantings with a very custom native seed mix that we provide, or native plant stock as determined by White Eagle. Please note that we do not have irrigation, and this land is very hot in summer and very cold in winter, which makes memorial plantings challenging. Please do not prune or otherwise harm native plants on or near the grave site. Please do not pick wildflowers.

6. No artificial flowers, vases, statues, or other manufactured decorations are allowed. Any “grace adornments” must be biodegradable, made of all natural materials, and blend in with the surrounding landscape. WEMP staff reserve the right to remove articles of adornment from the Preserve at our discretion.

7. Families may not create a trail to the grave site or disturb the surrounding landscape in any way. In the case of a large tree blow-down, staff should be notified.
   

Monuments

1. Because of our specialized grid and location system, stone markers are not required. If desired however, stone memorials may be used and must be of native stone and consistent with the geology of the site. We can provide an appropriate stone on request. Stones brought from the outside must be approved prior to placement and must be no bigger than any stone within 50 feet of the grave.

2. In general, stones should be flat to the ground, and in scale with the landscape. Carvings or artwork other than names and dates must be approved by the White Eagle staff. In some cases, to create a more natural look, more than one stone can be used to create a monument, but such a marker must be pre-approved.

3. Wood markers should lie flat to the ground, with natural lines (no rectangles) and stained with a milk-based finish, or unstained. Wooden markers will biodegrade over time, and families may need to replace them.
   

Burial Sites

1. Burial sites are 20×20 feet in size. These 400 square foot sites allow us plenty of room to determine the correct placement of the grave between existing landscape features. We will do our best to accommodate your specific wishes, yet grave placement within each deeded site is determined at the discretion of White Eagle, according to the geologic aspects of the earth and to protect the root systems of trees.

2. The 20 acres of White Eagle uses a surveyed grid system with markers along A-G and 1-11 lines, forming a network of “regions,” containing up to 36 sites.

3. Site location records are maintained via hard copy files and electronic backup. Your Certificate of Interment Rights (CIR) will reflect your site location according to our grid system (example: A-5, Site #14).

4. In order to schedule a burial at White Eagle, you must purchase a site for the deceased or contact us regarding an existing CIR, and pay the Open/Close fee. Please provide us with the following information before the time of the burial:
   – Death Certificate (which includes name of deceased, date of death, date of birth)
   – Disposition Authorization Form / Transit Permit (from County Health Department)
   – Designated Agent for deceased
   – Time and Date of Interment
   – Funeral Establishment (if any)
   – Names of Parents or Guardians if the deceased is not an adult

5. Only one person may be buried in each grave site. We are able to accept up to three cremated remains within each burial site, once a burial has occurred. Please see our price list for more information. Individuals wishing to be buried close to one another may purchase adjoining sites.

6. Your CIR reflects your Right to Internment – you may transfer your site to another person. If you purchase a site for yourself but, upon death, are buried elsewhere, then your site passes to your descendants or those named in your will.

7. Trails or temporary access lanes may traverse a corner of a burial site; they will never traverse an actual grave.

8. In this relatively dry region, graves may take many years to settle back to the original ground level and sometimes subside unevenly. All graves are tended as needed.

9. White Eagle Memorial Preserve can assume no liability for damage caused by acts beyond its control.

10. White Eagle site purchases are considered goods and services by the IRS, and are therefore not tax-deductible. Donations made to our Conservation Fund, however, may be deducted.

11. We do not refund site purchases - if your plans change, you may gift your site to our burial assistance fund, or gift or sell your site to a person of your choosing, and then please update your information with us.

Inclement Weather Update

White Eagle Memorial Preserve is located in the Simcoe Mountain foothills, at approximately 2500' elevation, and during the winter months it can get very snowy and we may need to suspend operations. We reserve the right to place burials and tours on hold due to weather and safety concerns. See #6 below in the Burial Service Section for more information about navigating this potential obstacle.

Cremated Remains

We are able to inter (bury) cremated remains in designated 10×10 sites. Please refer to our Price List for current pricing information.

Natural Organic Reduction

We are able to inter symbolic/ceremonial amounts of composted remains, but unable to accommodate the full amount (which is the equivalent of a truck bed full) for interment. NOR remains are considered Cremated Remains and interred with the same guidelines.

Burial Service

We encourage families to help with burial services, including pallbearing, lowering, and closing the grave. We will supply shovels and rakes. The White Eagle crew can perform these services if guests are not comfortable doing them, or if there are no guests at the burial.

1. All funerals and vehicles will be under the supervision of White Eagle.

2. No public assemblage without written consent of White Eagle.

3. The White Eagle parking area can accommodate 10 vehicles max. We encourage walking and/or carpooling from the parking area at Ekone Ranch and can help support you with logistics.

4. We ask that guest count be limited to 60 attendees at a burial - larger gatherings have a detrimental impact on the land and our facilities. We recommend holding larger community memorial gatherings closer to home, or at a different venue.

5. Discharging of firearms during any ceremony is not allowed.

6. White Eagle is at 2500 feet elevation. The cemetery is closed during times in winter when access is not possible due to heavy snow or mud. In regions where frozen ground and snow create serious access issues, it is a common practice to hold a body in refrigeration until weather and conditions allow. Columbia Hills Funeral home in nearby Goldendale is available for this purpose. We are glad to give you their contact information.

Visitation

Due to the wild and sensitive nature of this land, and other programming happening in the Ekone Ranch valley, we request that you email or call in advance to make arrangements to visit a loved one buried at White Eagle (206-383-3285).

See full contact details & information here.

On the day of your scheduled visit, please text us as you are coming through Goldendale so that a steward can be on hand to greet your arrival in the Ekone valley - see step by step directions here.  All first time visitors must be accompanied by a White Eagle steward to the Cemetery.  We will do our best to honor requests by appointment. Visitors shall be respectful of all grave sites while walking around White Eagle, and must stay on trails when walking in the surrounding region. Pets must be kept leashed and controlled at all times.​

Ceremonial Plantings

We can do planting of native trees and shrubs, but do not have an irrigation system in the forest, and our summers are hot and our winters are cold and snowy, so we may not be the best fit for ceremonial plantings.