APACHE COUNTY, Ariz. — A bill working its way through Congress could potentially offer residents in a rural area of eastern Arizona a space to bury their loved ones.
H.R. 3047 proposes conveying certain lands within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to be used for other purposes.
U.S. Rep. Eli Crane, R-District 2, introduced the legislation and said the bill passed through the House Committee on Natural Resources this week.
According to Crane's office, the small communities of Alpine and Pinedale have struggled for years to find cemetery space in their area. The legislation proposes conveying a parcel of forest land adjacent to the Alpine Community Cemetery to the control of Apache and Navajo counties.
"These communities have storied histories, and they deserve to lay their loved ones to rest in the place that means so much to them,” Rep. Eli Crane said in a statement. “This piece of legislation is one of the first bills I introduced in Congress and is a testament to the strength of the Latter-Day Saints Community in Northern Arizona."
Crane, who was recently elected to another term in the large district encompassing most of northern Arizona, said he intends to continuing pushing H.R. 3047 through the legislative process.
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