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Washington, DC: The U.S. House of Representatives today approved legislation authored by Congressmen Rick Boucher and Bob Goodlatte, both of whom represent Alleghany County, which will convey a tract of federal land containing a cemetery located in Alleghany County to the Central Advent Christian Church. The Church has been operating the cemetery since 1941 through a Special Use Permit granted by the U.S. Forest Service, and will now be able to permanently maintain the site.
“I am pleased that the U.S. House of Representatives has approved our legislation which will enable the Central Advent Christian Church near Clifton Forge to own the cemetery it has been operating for many years,” Boucher said.
The legislation approved by the House authorizes the Forest Service to convey approximately 8 acres of land to the Central Advent Christian Church which is located near the Longdale Furnace Road in Clifton Forge. The Church has been attempting to acquire this property, which contains more than 300 graves, since the late 1960s but due to Forest Service regulations, has been unsuccessful. In recent years, maintenance of this land has become difficult for the Forest Service, taking valuable staff time to remove discarded flowers and other items.
“This land conveyance makes sense for the federal government and for the Central Advent Christian Church. It will allow the Forest Service to focus on the land Congress intended the agency to manage” Goodlatte remarked.
Given that the Church has been operating the cemetery for more than 66 years and that the U.S. Forest Service has difficulty maintaining the property, the conveyance is in the interest of all parties.
“It is the desire of the families of those buried in the cemetery, the members of Central Advent Christian Church and the Forest Service that the cemetery be transferred into church ownership, and the bill approved by the House takes the entirely appropriate step of authorizing the conveyance.” Boucher concluded.
Congressmen Boucher and Goodlatte will now work with their colleagues in the U.S. Senate for enactment of this measure.
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