Green burial in Minnesota: what it is and how it works
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THE SHORT ANSWER
Green burial, also called natural burial, skips embalming, a metal or hardwood casket and the concrete burial vault. The person is buried in a simple shroud or biodegradable casket, directly in the earth. Several Twin Cities cemeteries allow it, and Minnesota’s two-year pause on new green burial sites ended in Jul 2025.
Ask people how they want to be remembered and plenty will say something like, “I just want to be a tree.” Mortician Angela Woosley of Inspired Journeys told our webinar audience that green burial is the simplest way to get close to that wish.
What makes a burial green
A green burial reduces the impact a burial has on the land. In practice that means:
- No embalming. The body is not treated with formaldehyde or other chemicals.
- A simple container. A shroud of cotton, linen or silk, or a casket made of pine, bamboo, woven willow or seagrass.
- No vault. The concrete outer burial container is left out. Angela noted that no state or federal law requires one; cemeteries set that rule to keep the ground level.
- A natural marker. Native plants, wildflowers or a tree instead of a granite or bronze marker. Some families keep GPS coordinates to find the spot later.
Types of green cemeteries
Angela described three kinds. A hybrid cemetery is a traditional cemetery that allows green burial in some or all sections. A natural burial ground has been natural since it opened. A conservation burial ground goes further: the land is restored to prairie or woodland, and the burials help protect it.
According to Angela, Minnesota has no natural or conservation burial ground yet. A volunteer nonprofit, Land Conservation Natural Burial, is working to create a conservation burial ground in the Twin Cities metro. Angela serves on its board.
Where Twin Cities families choose green burial
Angela regularly works with four Twin Cities cemeteries that accommodate natural burial: Oak Hill Cemetery in south Minneapolis, Mound Cemetery in Brooklyn Center, Roselawn Cemetery in Roseville and Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights. Some allow green burial throughout, others in set sections. Angela said Resurrection has a prairie section with no mowing or fertilizer, where names are engraved on a shared boulder.
Offerings change, so call the cemetery to confirm what is available. This list reflects the webinar in Oct 2026.
What green burial costs
Costs vary by cemetery and by funeral home. Angela’s tip for comparing funeral homes: ask each one for its price for an “immediate burial.” That gives you a fair side-by-side comparison before you add anything else.
What Minnesota studied
From Jul 1, 2023 to Jul 1, 2025, Minnesota paused the opening of new green burial sites while the Minnesota Department of Health studied environmental and public health effects. Cemeteries already offering green burial could keep doing so.
The department’s report recommended keeping green burials out of flood-prone areas, burying at a depth of about 3.5 to 4 feet, and limiting density to about 300 burials per acre over 100 years. Angela added that green burials are not shallow enough for animals to reach remains, a common worry.
Put your wishes in writing
A cemetery and a funeral home can only follow wishes they know about. Write down that you want a green burial, where, and who should be in charge, and name that person in your health care directive. If you are weighing a home vigil before burial, read our guide to caring for a loved one at home after death.
Watch the full webinar
Watch Angela’s full talk on green burial, home vigils, water cremation and human composting, with questions answered by founder Lauren Fink.
Talk with a Minnesota elder law attorney
Everbright Legacy Law helps families across the Twin Cities plan for aging, care and the end of life from our office in Richfield. If you want help putting your wishes in writing, schedule a consultation.
Keep reading
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every situation is different. Facts attributed to Angela Woosley come from the Oct 22, 2026 webinar; laws and provider options change, so confirm details with a licensed funeral provider or an attorney.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Is green burial legal in Minnesota?
Yes. Cemeteries that already offered green burial continued during the 2023 to 2025 pause on new sites, and that pause ended Jul 1, 2025.
Do you need a burial vault in Minnesota?
Not by state law. Many cemeteries require a vault to keep the ground level, so ask the cemetery. Cemeteries that allow green burial let you skip it.
How deep is a green burial?
The Minnesota Department of Health study recommended a depth of about 3.5 to 4 feet, shallower than a conventional grave.
Can you be buried without embalming in Minnesota?
Yes. Embalming is not required for burial. If burial will happen more than 72 hours after death, the body must be refrigerated, kept on dry ice or embalmed.
The Everbright Way
Everbright Legacy Law is a Minnesota elder law firm in Richfield, serving families across the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. Our attorneys are members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), and we integrate licensed social workers with our legal team to deliver coordinated life care planning that goes beyond documents.
Schedule an introductory consultation with Everbright Legacy Law.
