The association overseeing the Eugene Masonic Cemetery wants it to become an accredited arboretum.
Already on the National Registry of Historic Places, the 10-acre final resting ground for notable Oregon dignitaries would also essentially become an outdoor museum of trees.
Shawn Walker is a board member of the Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association.
“It would be a badge of honor for the cemetery," Walker told KLCC.
"It would provide recognition of this beautiful urban forest that we have here in Eugene. And it would make for more resources for visitors to come and see and learn about the different variety of trees and woody plants we have in the cemetery.”
Walker said they already meet many specifications for an arboretum, so it’s a matter of submitting their application to ArbNet. Many cemeteries have the distinction, including the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Established in 1859, the Eugene Masonic Cemetery remains operational to this day. The city’s namesake, Eugene Skinner, is buried there, as well as Oregon’s first governor, John Whiteaker.
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