Veterans Cemetery bill awaits Gianforte signature

A bill to create a new veterans cemetery in Columbia Falls has passed the state House and Senate and awaits Gov. Greg Gianforte’s signature.

The new cemetery would be on state land south of the Montana Veterans Home Cemetery.

The cemetery, called the Columbia Falls State Veterans Cemetery, could eventually expand to property east of the railroad tracks, which is also owned by the state.

“This is a great day for northwestern Montana and the thousands of Montana veterans who put their lives on the line to protect our Republic and our freedoms,” House District 3 representative Braxton Mitchell, the bill’s sponsor, said.

The land is an open field at the moment. The north end of the field would be for future expansion of the Montana Veterans Home Cemetery and the south end the new cemetery, previously explained Joren Underdahl, administrator of the Veterans Home.

The Veterans Home has a separate cemetery west of the railroad tracks that is used only for residents and spouses.

This new cemetery would be for all veterans in Lincoln, Sanders, Flathead, Lake, Glacier, Toole County, Pondera, Teton and Liberty counties, Mitchell noted.

Upon passage of this bill, the Department of Military Affairs and the Montana Veteran Affairs Division would apply to the federal Veteran’s Administration for a grant to develop the new cemetery.

The federal funding is contingent on the bill’s passing, Mitchell explained.

The federal grant would pay for development of the site. State funds for the cemetery would come in part from the state’s marijuana tax.

It’s expected the cemetery will cost about $160,000 in 2025, which includes two staff — a groundskeeper at about $63,880 and a manager at $61,365. The other costs are for supplies and tools.

It’s expected to have about 200 burials annually, Mitchell said.