Frequently Asked Questions

When you know that death is pending or imminent, please contact us. If you plan to hire a funeral home for body preparation or transportation, contact them as well. If you will be caring for your loved one’s body at home, visit oregonfuneral.org for instruction.

No, in Oregon you do not need to use a funeral home. For information on handling after-death care and transportation, visit oregonfuneral.org.

Please ensure that all materials buried with the body are biodegradable, including the shroud or burial container. For information on bathing and dressing your loved one’s body on your own, visit the National Home Funeral Alliance website. You may also hire a funeral home to prepare the body.

If a disposition/transportation permit is obtained, a family can transport their loved one in a private vehicle to the burial ground. You may also hire a funeral home to provide transportation.

Biodegradable shrouds and caskets are allowed for burial at The Forest. Please see Shroud and Burial Containers for details.

We invite families to create/officiate their own ceremony, or to plan with an officiant or religious/spiritual leader of their choice. The graveside ceremony is an opportunity to honor the deceased in ways that are most meaningful to the bereaved. Please ask if you would like ideas to get started with planning.

Yes. This is part of what makes green burial at The Forest special. Each burial is unique; some families wish to participate in the process while others prefer to witness. Family members and friends are invited to participate in all aspects of the burial: digging and decorating the grave, carrying and lowering the body, and closing the grave. We invite those who can to engage at their comfort level with the meaningful work of closing the grave.

Yes, receptions can be arranged at the burial ground. We rent tables and chairs for an outdoor gathering, or the Meadow House, if available, may be rented for an indoor gathering. 

Stone markers are not required at The Forest. If desired, a stone native to Willow-Witt Ranch can be purchased (it’s an ancient volcano…we have lots of beautiful stones), engraved and set once the soil has settled. See Rules and Regulations for details on what is allowed.

The Forest Burial Ground has been developed in an existing conifer and oak forest with abundant mature and replacement trees, native shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers. Burials are placed among and around existing trees and plants; for this reason, trees or shrubs may not be planted on graves. Memorial native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers permitted by The Forest can be purchased and will be planted in areas that best serve the overall ecology. Other memorial options are also available, such as benches and plaques on memorial stone walls. See Price List for details.

All-wheel and 4-wheel drive vehicles may be necessary throughout the winter. We are able to remove snow for burials and gravesite access. The ground does not freeze deeply, so hand-digging the graves is always possible; we charge additional fees in the event of heavy snow. There may be occasions when the body would need to remain at home on dry ice, or in funeral home refrigeration until the gravesite is accessible. We will work this through together.

Please contact us and we will support you in finding your loved one’s grave. All graves are marked with a bronze plot marker listing name, birth date and date of death. Families will be provided with GPS coordinates of the grave.

Yes, this land will be a cemetery forever. Funds from plot sales are invested in an endowment care fund to ensure the perpetual care of the grounds, including access. The land is in private ownership and is being transitioned into a perpetual purpose stewardship trust to ensure the future care, protection, and conservation of the entire property.

Before or at the time of a first family interment, additional adjacent plots may be selected and reserved with the assistance of the Sexton. Those nearby sites can be reserved for up to six months awaiting full payment for purchase of Interment Rights.

Yes, if unused, the plot descends to the heirs at law of the owner as governed by the State of Oregon.

A purchaser may cancel the Advance Need Purchase Agreement at any time up to the 5th calendar day after the date of the initial transaction. After this day, the purchaser may donate the plot back to The Forest, transfer to a friend or family, or resell the plot to a third party. Transfer fees apply.

The burial ground is open dawn to dusk every day for visitation. The Meadow House, campground, and cemetery entry area are available for daily rental for Memorial Celebrations. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a gathering of more than five people.