JACKSON, Wyo. — Town Council unanimously approved a Fiscal Year 2025 budget amendment to add $44,000 toward planning a possible expansion of Aspen Hill Cemetery, a plot that has been managed by the Town of Jackson for over 100 years.
The Town wrote that the cemetery maintains scenery, provides space for wildlife, offers a historic component to the “heart of the region” and provides an important community service to families laying loved ones to rest.
According to Town staff, approximately 10 burials occur per year at Aspen Hill Cemetery. Nine burials have already been planned this spring, per the report. Staff projects that the cemetery will reach capacity in approximately three to four years with its current amount of available space.
During Monday’s meeting, Town Council discussed potential updates to the cemetery plot, including stricter eligibility requirements for purchases and burials, longer hours, capacity expansion options and cemetery rules.
Staff shared that possible reconfigurations, such as increasing the number of interments per plot, could help maximize space. Currently, the common practice is burying one person per plot, although a plot is not restricted to one interment. Town staff did note though that increasing the number of possible interments could alter the character or aesthetic in certain areas of the cemetery.
Another option that would allow for the extension of cemetery services would be adding land onto the current plot. The Town has one remaining expansion area of 3.9 acres, but only about 2.5 acres within it are usable due to steep slopes and easement limitations, per the staff report. Town Council evaluated the potential of securing additional land in Teton County to allow cemetery operations to continue for an additional 25 to 30 years.
Staff made the suggestion that adopting stricter burial requirements, such as proof of residency, could help extend the time until the cemetery is full and reduce the urgency of expansion.
A revision of Aspen Hill Cemetery’s policies could also enforce an ordinance prohibiting burials on private property, after the local mortuary brought to Town staff’s attention that burials outside of the cemetery’s boundaries are increasing. Currently, it is legal to bury human remains within the Town on any property, including those outside designated burial grounds, according to Town.
