National Cemetery Administration
Idaho Receives Grant for the Establishment of Southeast Idaho Veterans Cemetery
August 15, 2019
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) announced today that it has awarded Idaho a grant in the amount of $7,371,817 for the establishment of Southeast Idaho Veterans Cemetery in Blackfoot, Idaho.
"Establishing a new state Veterans cemetery in southeast Idaho will significantly increase our service to Veterans in this rural area," said Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves. "With each new cemetery we get closer to our goal of providing 95 percent of Veterans with a burial option within 75 miles of their home."
This grant will fund the construction of 440 pre-placed crypts, 250 cremains gravesites, 640 columbarium niches, a main entrance, administration building, maintenance facility, roads, an assembly area, a committal shelter, memorial and scatter burial areas, landscaping, a memorial walkway, and supporting infrastructure. The project will develop approximately 13 acres. The project will enable the cemetery to serve approximately 19,000 Veterans, their spouses and eligible family members.
The VA Veterans Cemetery Grants Program (VCGP) complements the 136 VA national cemeteries across the country. Since its inception 41 years ago, the VCGP has awarded grants totaling more than $817 million to establish, expand, improve, or operate and maintain 115 state and tribal Veterans cemeteries. These VA-funded cemeteries provided more than 39,000 burials in 2018.
For more information about the establishment of Southeast Idaho Veterans Cemetery, contact James Earp, Bureau Chief, Idaho Division of Veterans Services at 208-780-1340.
