Officials from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are having two back-to-back town halls in Salem about the proposed expansion of the Willamette National Cemetery to local farmland.  The town halls will be at the Salem Public Library Loucks auditorium on Thursday, April 30, at 12:30 p.m. an d 5 p.m. The library is at 585 Liberty St. S.E.  The meetings were announced in an email Friday, April 17, from VA Project Development Services Director Glenn Elliot. In that same email, Elliot publicized the official release of the department’s draft environmental assessment of the 3515 Howell Prairie Road S.E. property dated Thursday, April 16. The draft was first published online in late March, before being removed without explanation.  The 307-acre parcel located 10 miles southeast of downtown Salem is an active vineyard in the unincorporated town of Macleay. The land is owned by Winemakers Investment Properties LLC., a vineyard management company based in Washington. The land owners have expressed interest in selling the property to the VA.   The VA first announced the project in a Sept. 16 letter. The assessment is the second step of six in the National Cemetery Administration’s process of establishing a new cemetery, with land acquisition being step three. The administration oversees national cemeteries and aims to ensure burial options within 75 miles of the veteran’s last known residence.  The VA will be accepting public comment on the draft assessment until Saturday, May 16, 2026. People can make comments by email at [email protected] with the subject line “Willamette National Cemetery Draft EA.”  The VA has not disclosed the timeline for the project. The document reviewed the soil quality, water availability, traffic impact and other environment impacts of the proposed development. The assessment found the soil and available groundwater on the property would be suitable for the cemetery’s use. A traffic study included in the report found there would be a daily traffic influx of 275 drivers a day, which existing roads could accommodate without changes. Public comments were released alongside the document, with 95 being recorded, largely from Macleay residents in opposition. A standout letter included in the comments was authored by state Rep. Paul Evans, an Air Force veteran who represents much of West Salem, Monmouth and Independence. His district does not include Macleay.  “I have growing concerns that the presently identified Howell Prairie Road location may not represent the most suitable or sustainable site for a cemetery of this scale and importance, particularly when compared with viable alternatives nearby,” Evans wrote.  Evans suggested the VA consider the site of the former Mill Creek Correctional Facility instead.  Many Macleay neighbors are in agreement with Evan’s suggestion, believing a cemetery development in their town would be detrimental to the area by depleting groundwater, increasing traffic and using up valuable farmland.  VA spokesman Gary Kunich did not respond to Salem Reporter’s inquiry about what will be announced at the meetings, if questions will be taken or how long they will run. Vineyard owners interested in selling farmland outside Salem for VA cemetery expansion Plans in motion to expand Willamette National Cemetery to Salem  Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] . SIGN UP: “Thank you for your fair, thorough, and fearless reporting.” Subscribing to Salem Reporter helps sustain in-depth, local reporting that Salem depends on. Invest in your community’s news. Subscribe today. The post VA to host two town halls in Salem on cemetery expansion appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less