NORTHPORT, Maine — The town of Northport has updated its cemetery rules to formally allow green burials at Beech Ridge Cemetery, marking a notable step for an end-of-life practice that has been gaining traction in Maine.
The updated policy establishes a clear framework for natural burials within a designated portion of Beech Ridge Cemetery, making Northport one of a growing number of Maine communities adapting traditional cemetery rules to accommodate more environmentally conscious options.
“We have not yet marked out the portion of the cemetery that we’re going to set aside for (green burial),” said Northport Town Manager James Kossuth, noting that step would come later in April or early May.
Under the new regulations, green burials are explicitly permitted, but only within the defined section of the cemetery.
The policy outlines specific requirements intended to preserve the integrity of natural decomposition. Human remains must be placed in biodegradable materials, such as a burial shroud, body bag, wooden box or even a cardboard container. Bodies must be interred at a depth of approximately 3 feet — shallower than the traditional 6 feet — to promote natural decomposition.
Unlike conventional burials, which often rely on embalming chemicals and reinforced burial vaults, green burials emphasize simplicity and environmental stewardship. The Northport policy reflects that philosophy, requiring additional soil to be mounded above the grave to allow for natural settling as decomposition occurs.
The term “green burial,” as defined in the town’s regulations, refers to a burial in which a body is not embalmed, cremated or otherwise altered, except in cases involving organ donation. The approach allows the body to return naturally to the earth, minimizing environmental impact and reducing the use of nonbiodegradable materials.
For many families, the appeal is both practical and philosophical. Green burials typically avoid the costs associated with embalming and expensive caskets, while offering a more natural and, for some, more meaningful alternative in which the body becomes part of the earth as it breaks down through natural processes.
Northport’s decision comes amid growing interest in the practice across Maine.
Local groups have begun meeting in the midcoast and elsewhere to provide information on green burials, acquire private land for interment and lobby towns for regulatory changes at established cemeteries to allow the practice.
In October, Warren’s Select Board unanimously approved a new green burial site connected to the town-owned Newcomb Cemetery, scheduled to open in spring 2027.
The group Midcoast Maine Green Burial notes that even cremation is carbon-intensive, while traditional burials can involve exotic hardwoods sometimes linked to deforestation and toxic chemicals. Green burials, they say, reduce the ecological footprint of death “to nearly nothing.”
“Without artifice or waste, body-to-earth burial is a one-step, complete act that sequesters carbon, nurtures the microbial soil community, and contributes to the future of a sustainable planet for all,” the group states on its website.
Still, towns have to balance the push for green burials against many locals’ ongoing aversion to the practice or concerns about its potential impact on natural resources such as drinking water.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.
