There’s a band of horses grazing on a 20-acre parcel owned by Oakley City, but it could someday be transformed into a public access nature sanctuary for the living — and the dead. Summit Land Conservancy CEO Cheryl Fox and Starks Funeral Parlor owner Shayneh Starks this week presented the Oakley City Council with a proposal to put a conservation easement on the land and convert it into a green burial cemetery.  “The idea here is to create an income stream for the city of Oakley that will create enhancement and protection for a really beautiful corner of the community,” Fox explained.  Oakley owns a parcel located on the corner of Pinion Lane, near the former Oakley Artesian Water building, that’s currently leased out and grazed. The land would still be owned by the city under the conservation easement, but it would be permanently protected from development. Summit Land Conservancy wants to help clean up and restore the property. There would be public access opportunities such as trails or connections to nearby recreational amenities. Fox also sees potential for additional conservation efforts such as protecting the adjacent watershed.  It would also be a cemetery.  The goal of green burials is to conserve land and return people to the earth in a natural way. All burial products must be biodegradable and people would be laid to rest in a fabric shroud or eco-friendly casket made from unfinished wood. No tombstones are used to avoid disrupting the landscape. Many loved ones choose to decorate the graves with natural materials. Fox and Starks affirmed there are no health or environmental concerns with a conservation cemetery. They compared it to the traditional practices like in the Pioneer days. “It’s been a passion project of mine to learn how to return to the way that we did things in a much more natural way,” Starks said. “Allowing people to return to the earth is not only natural, but it heals our planet.” She explained there are varying levels of green cemeteries. There are several hybrid options in Utah but only 12 true conservation cemeteries in the United States. Under the proposal, Oakley could become one of them. To be certified, the cemetery must be combined with land conservation efforts. The land is protected in perpetuity and revenue from burials is used to care for and restore the property as well as acquire more sensitive spaces.  Summit Land Conservancy hopes the cemetery in Oakley will take on the greenest form, and the nonprofit will take on an active management role if it’s approved. A portion of each grave site fee would be allocated to a restoration and conservation fund. “I think the reason that there aren’t more of these might be because a lot of us are squeamish when it comes to talking about death. I’ve had some really deep and soulful conversations when I bring this up. All of us face it,” Fox said in an interview. “The conservancy sees this as another way to save land and provide a service to our community.” The draft proposal allows for 150 burials per acre, but Fox anticipates it will be a lot less. A 5-acre area would be used at first and then all of the acreage in the sanctuary area could be used. Around 60% of the cemetery would be reserved for Oakley residents, who would pay a discounted rate for a plot. City residents could pay $2,500 presale or $2,800 at the time of need. The rate is between $3,000 and $3,500 for everyone else.  Plots at conventional cemeteries in Utah cost around $2,800 and do not include additional costs for opening and closing the grave, the casket, the name plaque or other mortuary services, according to the proposal. Oakley has a traditional cemetery that isn’t approaching capacity. The conservation cemetery would simply be another option for residents.  It’s not possible to pre-choose a specific location as grave sites are partially determined based on what the land needs. Additional space would be given to families who wish to be laid to rest together. There would be no grave markers to support the leave-no-trace mentality. A locator chip could be buried in the grass to help loved ones find the spot. Fox said they’re also considering adding a memorial wall with all of the names of the buried. There’s also a possibility of a place where people can spread ashes, host memorial ceremonies or bury pets. The Oakley City Council was intrigued by the idea and largely supported it. Mayor Zane Woolstenhulme said a conservation cemetery is a “perpetual good use.” He did not want to see the property become the site of development. However, Woolstenhulme was unsure what the public’s response would be. Those in attendance seemed to like the concept. No formal action was taken as the proposal is still being reviewed. The City Council anticipated a vote could come at the next meeting. Summit County officials are also exploring creating a new cemetery in the Snyderville Basin.