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Showing up to support Alaska Natural Burial

for the Anchorage Assembly Public Hearing

on Tuesday, June 9, 2026



There's 2 ways to tell the Assembly you support Alaska Natural Burial:

1) Provide written testimony by Thursday, June 4  **example talking points below**

Use this online form to provide written testimony supporting Alaska Natural Burial.

Please reference "Agenda Item 14a, Ordinance No. AO 2026-72"


2) Voice your public comments on Tuesday, June 9 at 5pm in person (Anchorage) **tips on giving public testimony below**


   A) In person

Come in person to the Loussac Library at 3600 Denali St., Room 108.

You do not need to sign up before you arrive to provide public testimony in person. The Chair invites the public to speak on a first-come basis during meetings. You will have 3 minutes to speak.


   B) By Phone

Sign up by 5 pm on Monday, June 8 to provide testimony via phone.

Please reference "Agenda Item 14a, Ordinance No. AO 2026-72"

Have your phone nearby on the evening of June 9, the Clerk will phone you at the number you have provided. You will have 3 minutes to speak.



Preparing to give public testimony

You will have 3 minutes to speak. It's helpful to read from a script or have a list of talking points to keep your testimony brief & on-point -- it's really easy to run through your two minutes and still have more to say!


Lead with who you are and why this matters to you personally!

End with a clear ask (e.g., "I urge you to vote 'yes' on Ordinance No. AO 2026-72 and recommend the disposal of Parcel 2-156 to Alaska Natural Burial")

Example talking points for written & verbal public testimony

Why this project matters to you is always going to be your most important talking point. Some others may include:


  • Anchorage needs affordable cemetery space: Anchorage Memorial Park is at capacity and Angelus is cost-prohibitive for many families. For religious and personal reasons, cremation is not a reasonable alternative to burial. Lack of affordable options is an equity issue.
  • This is not "another cemetery" - it is the only new cemetery as Anchorage loses capacity. After a 2024 bond failed to pass, the Municipality has no clear plans for expanding existing municipal infrastructure.
  • This resolution is consistent with HLB's mandate to benefit the present and future citizens of Anchorage, promote orderly development, and achieve the goals of the Anchorage comprehensive plan.
  • Alaska Natural Burial proposes low-density, natural burial occurring over decades. This is infinitely less impactful than the paved surfaces and septic tanks that would come with residential (or other) development.
  • Protecting Parcel 2-156 in perpetuity through the conservation burial model will preserve a known wildlife corridor, benefitting wildlife and the watershed.
  • The human body is not a contaminant: it returns the same organic compounds (carbon, nitrogen) to the earth that make up all living things.
  • Natural burial (especially compared to flame cremation) is a carbon sink.
  • Alaska Natural Burial's active conservation stewardship is a net ecological benefit, not a risk.