Dear Editor,
The recent news about James Hendricks’ passing in Arches National Park with his dad’s ashes gave me concern and I wanted to make a few clarifications.
Grand County is roughly about 2,357,760 acres, or 3,684 square miles, of which only 5% is privately owned (roughly 117,888 acres), meaning 95% of the county is owned by a government entity.
If someone decides to scatter ashes in Grand County they have a 95% chance (in the state of Utah, a 66.5% chance) that it is on government land. To scatter ashes legally in Utah you must first ask permission from the owner of the property before doing so.
If scattering in a National Park, you must first go onto a website, fill out a form, and pay an $80 fee to get approval. To scatter on Bureau of Land Management lands, like the Colorado River including Lake Powell, you need to get ahold of the BLM office or Department of Interior; for Utah State lands, like Dead Horse Point, you need to get approval from the state entity first. If scattering on private property, you are to ask permission from the owner of the property first.
Just wanted the public to know the legalities of scattering ashes so they don’t get fined for doing things illegally.
Mearl Sheldon
Spanish Valley Mortuary
