Second state veterans cemetery coming to Blackfoot
A second Idaho State Veterans cemetery is coming – and it’s coming to Eastern Idaho.
The state board of land approved a land exchange Tuesday morning that will bring the cemetery to Blackfoot.
The land is 40 acres adjacent to State Hospital South in Blackfoot. Currently, those 40 acres are farmland. But soon it will become the new state veterans cemetery.
The land is currently owned by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. In the approval from the board of land, the acreage will now be owned by the Idaho Division of Veteran Services.
The new cemetery will include about 500 burial plots, as well as hundreds of burial options for cremated remains.
Tracy Schaner, deputy administrator with IDVS, said the cemetery will benefit at least 23,000 veterans in the Eastern Idaho region.
Schaner said there isn’t a close option for those living in the region. It’s a long drive to visit loved ones.
“The closest cemeteries are Boise, right now, is 154 miles,” Schaner said. “Bluffdale, Utah is 108 miles so travel time is pretty far so the necessity is pretty high.”
Schaner said the site was chosen out of 30 options. Several surveys and analyses were done on the various sites and the site in Blackfoot was determined to be the best for development and to fit the needs.
The estimated cost of construction is $8.3 million. Federal grants will cover the cost of construction, then the state will cover operating costs of the cemetery once it’s up and running.
Schaner said the cemetery will be built in two phases. The first phase will include developing about 19-20 acres of the cemetery, as well as the entrance, maintenance facility and couple other thing. Phase two would develop the rest of the acreage.
Schaner said IDVS has been working on a new state cemetery location since 2012 and they are excited to have the green light on a location.
“We all take great pride in serving our veterans and honoring them for the services they have provided to us,” she said. “So being able to offer this to eastern Idaho veterans so that they don’t have a long travel time, is pretty rewarding.”
Brandon Woolf, Idaho State Controller and a member of the Idaho Board of Land, issued the following statement regarding the board’s decision:
“I’m 100% committed to doing my part to help establish a new veteran’s cemetery in Eastern Idaho. It’s important that we, as citizens, recognize the sacrifices made by the men and women who serve our nation. Building this memorial to those who served is the right thing to do for the 23,000 veterans in Eastern Idaho, and long overdue.”
Schaner said they are waiting on those federal grants for funding to come through before any construction can start. She said they could break ground as soon as 2018.
