By Helen Borland / Staff

Thirty-five years ago, Jim Bell bought 17 acres of gently rolling pasture land and an old farm house in Alpharetta. He still lives in the house and has already picked out the spot in his green cemetery where he plans to be buried.

"It has a lovely view. I always thought it would make a nice cemetery and it made sense to me," said Bell. "I found out about green cemeteries, hired a consultant, learned about Georgia law and went to the city to get zoned."

Milton Fields Natural Burial Ground, a private green cemetery in North Fulton County, was his dream long before going green was popular. Bell's natural cemetery is right next to a Baptist cemetery, so the neighbors aren't complaining.

In a green burial, an unembalmed body is placed in a casket made of biodegradable material or wrapped in a fabric shroud before being gently placed into the ground.

So far, the state has no specific definition of a natural or green cemetery, but Bell states that his is the only perpetual care green cemetery licensed by the Georgia Cemetery Board of the Secretary of State's office.

There are no headstones, sculpted markers or permanent vases at Milton Fields. There are three-inch metal plot markers, flat to the ground, that mark the 10 foot by 10 foot plots. There is a single gravel road to the back of the property. Bell mows the field when it gets too high, as it did after the recent rains, but the clover and grass is normally its natural height.

Joe Sehee, who created and directs the Green Burial Council, estimates that as many as 200 natural cemeteries will open within the next five years.  “We bury enough metal in the ground each year to rebuild the Golden Gate Bridge,” he said. “And we bury enough resource concrete -- about 1.6 million tons -- to build a two-lane highway from New York to Detroit. Additionally, more than 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde are buried with it. There’s a good carbon footprint associated with burial.”

There are no known health or safety reasons to embalm a body or entomb it in wood and concrete.

Moreover, a green cemetery maintains natural surroundings and the land can be used for other purposes, such as walking, picnicking and playing. For those who are concerned about loss of natural habitat, decreasing green space and man's impact on the environment, a green cemetery offers a simple, natural resting place for the end of life.

Bell said: "The two most rewarding things that happen to me, without exception, after every single funeral, somebody says to me, 'I'm really glad you're doing this. This really makes sense.' The second thing is when I see a family member come up here and spend some time with their loved one in nature, it really makes me think I'm doing the right thing.'"