frequently asked questions

Is open air cremation legal?

Not yet. We are working on that. We got a bill aimed at legalizing open air cremation sponsored by Senator Eloise Vitelli in late winter 2021. Our first public hearing was on April 8, 2021. There was a working session on 5/6/21 and in that session the Health and Human Service committee voted for the bill not to pass. There is still a lot of reticence as well as many misconceptions among folks who are not familiar with this form of disposition.

We remain committed to helping people understand the dignity of this option and working to establish open air cremation as a legal disposition option in Maine. We are currently (this Spring 2023) bringing a second bill to the Maine Legislature aimed at legalizing Open Air Cremation. The bill is LD 584. We will again go before the Health and Human Service committee, along with other interested Maine residents, to make the case for why Open Air Cremation should be available as a disposition option in Maine. Scheduling of the HHS committee hearing is pending.

What happens to the bones and ashes?

After the full cremation burn, what remains is left to cool for 24 hours, covered. After that time families can come and collect the ashes and bones. And by bones, we mean very fragile bone fragments. We imagine that if a family is working with a funeral director and want the cremains pulverized in the way cremains would be in a conventional cremation, that could be arranged. We hope, if this option is legalized, that families will be allowed to take the ashes ‘as is’ if they wish (rather than there being a requirement to pulverize the remains). In Northern Colorado, friends have shared that more often than not families would want the ashes scattered on the land after the cooling period (That pyre is built on retreat land that holds particular meaning to community members and their family). In Crestone the families collect the ashes and remaining bone fragments after the 24 hour period, to keep or scatter as they so choose.

Are there problematic smells or odors with open air cremations?

Angela had witnessed cremations in India and Nepal and never experienced odor as an issue, but India and Nepal are also filled with all kinds of smells already. That said, she is well aware that others may have different experiences of open air cremations in Asia. It is certainly a different kind of experience when multiple cremations are happening at once and on pyres that are ostensibly stacked wood or grates, with no heat conducting design.

The folks in Crestone have said that throughout their history (since 2007) of doing cremations smell has "never been an issue." People tend to express this concern before actually witnessing a cremation. No one we know of or have heard of who’ve witnessed a cremation in Colorado (on either pyre) has ever said odor was an issue. There are also things that mitigate any potential smell, including the use of scented blanches like juniper, cedar and pine, all plentiful in Maine.

If there comes a time when we are able to move forward with this intention to build a pyre, the plan is to build a substantial volunteer corps who will be trained in doing open air cremations by people from Crestone and friends who have worked cremations in Northern Colorado. The volunteers will be trained to properly attend to the fire and any potential issues or concerns that may arise for people. Our intention is to conduct these cremations with tremendous mindfulness and reverence. This is a sacred activity and will be treated as such.

Are you trying to take work away from Funeral Directors?

Not in any way. Currently in Maine everyone has a legal right to care for their deceased loved ones themselves if they so chose. Many people continue to choose to work with Funeral Directors to help with some or all of their arrangements for after death care, services and final disposition.

Open air cremation will be a disposition option that resonates with a small portion of the population. Many will continue to utilize their trusted and skilled local Funeral Directors and some will chose to handle much of the after death process and care themselves. We deeply value the relationships and friendships we have with many of our local Funeral Directors.

Is good ground great beyond a Funeral business?

No. We started Good Ground Great beyond as a non-profit and the aim is to be a volunteer held, donation based community project. Over the years, Angela has received a lot of guidance from the folks who started the Crestone End of Life Project. Their project and pyre arose out of a genuine wish to allow folks who resonate with open air cremation in the community to have access to it. They also educate and offer guidance with many elements of end of life planning and navigation. As a community project they do a small numbers of cremations per year. We foresee relatively small numbers of cremations for the pyre we wish to build as well. The idea has never been to make GGGB just a different sort of crematory operation that conducts dozens of cremations per month.

As a volunteer held operation, we see our aim as gathering a trained group of committed volunteers together to support other community members who have registered in advance for an open air cremation. Those interested in helping with the open air cremations will be folks like the Founder and Board Members of Good Ground Great Beyond who have full time careers but feel invested in helping their community out in these meaningful ways.

can i register for an open air cremation?

As was detailed above, we are putting our efforts toward legalizing open air cremation in Maine. This is proving to be a real process and we remain committed in our efforts.

We remain very aware that anything can happen….or not happen. When Angela decided to start this project and buy land, she always knew this vision would continue to change shape while its outcome would remain uncertain. She trusts deeply that the genuine intention and effort, as well as the conversations started and continued are worth all the work.

All that said, Mainers cannot register for open air cremation at this present time. Open air cremation is not yet a legal disposition option in the state. If you resonate with this project and effort, please let us know who you are. We always appreciate connecting.