Rules and Regulations of Campo de Estrellas Conservation Cemetery

THE CONSERVATION CEMETERY IS LOCATED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. YOUR USE, VISITATION, AND PRESENCE ON THE CEMETERY PREMISES ARE SUBJECT IN ALL RESPECTS TO THESE RULES AND THE CEMETERY DEDICATION ON FILE WITH THE BASTROP COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE. THESE RULES AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS ARE FULLY ENFORCEABLE IN TEXAS COURTS. VISIT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

For the mutual protection and benefit of the plot holders and their loved ones, the following rules and regulations have been designed to protect, nurture, and preserve this open space while encouraging use visits in alignment with the goals of the Conservation Cemetery. These rules are implemented, enforced, and maintained by the legal owner of the property where this Conservation Cemetery is located (the “Property Owner”), with the support of the Conservation Cemetery’s duly-appointed caretakers (the “Management”).

1. Access Hours. Following the light of the season, the Conservation Cemetery will be open from sunrise until sunset. The management shall have the right to fix access hours and restrict access accordingly.

2. Visitors. We welcome you to Campo de Estrellas as a place of memorialization, peace, and contemplation. We reserve the right to require anyone not respecting the dignity of the burial sanctuary to leave the property.

3. Children. Children under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

4. Animals. Animals are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash at all times and otherwise restricted from digging on the property or disturbing wildlife. Pet waste must be appropriately bagged and discarded.

5. Markers. Grave markers must be flat fieldstones or other natural stone, no taller from the ground than three inches and no wider than two feet. The stones may be engraved but not processed in any other way. All markers must be approved by the management before placement, and non-approved markers may be removed by the management in its sole discretion.

6. Burial Containers. All burial products must be non-toxic and fully biodegradable. Coffins or caskets must be composed entirely of biodegradable materials such as wood, cardboard, or natural fibers, with no synthetic liners or metal or plastic hardware or components of any kind. Burial shrouds should be made from fabrics containing only natural fibers (no acrylics, polyester, or other synthetic fibers are allowed). For the purposes of these rules, “biodegradable” means a material that fully decomposes into nontoxic organic elements from exposure to natural processes within 10 years of its placement on the Conservation Cemetery property.

7. Embalming Strictly Prohibited. NO BODY INTERRED AT THE CONSERVATION CEMETERY MAY BE EMBALMED OR CHEMICALLY PRESERVED IN ANY WAY. NO ARTIFICIAL, TOXIC, OR NON-BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS MAY BE INTERRED OR PLACED AT THE CONSERVATION CEMETERY.

8. Plants and Flowers. In keeping with the conservation goals of the Conservation Cemetery, no artificial flowers may be left in the woods. Fresh cut natural flowers are permitted but may be gathered and composted by the management after 3 days. Sprinkling of native wildflower seeds is permitted at any time. Planting of shrubs and trees that are native to the area is encouraged and they may be planted with prior permission, but must be cared for by the plot owner. Non-native plants may be removed by the management in the management’s sole discretion, without any compensation paid to the person(s) placing such non-native plants on the property. Destroying, moving, or disturbing any growing plants within the Conservation Cemetery is strictly prohibited. For the purposes of these rules, “native” means a plant, shrub, or animal that is recognized as being indigenous to the 25-mile radius surrounding the Conservation Cemetery by experts from Texas A&M University or the University of Texas at Austin.

9. Ornamentation. Toys, ornaments, decorations, stonework, ironwork, lighting, borders, wind chimes, and other forms of ornamentation are not permitted and will be removed by the Conservation Cemetery management. While efforts will be made to preserve such non-permitted ornamentation, the management shall not be responsible for any damage, loss, or destruction of any such materials or personal property. Vases, floral pieces, baskets and other ornamentation used in funeral services on the property are permitted but must be removed immediately following the service.

10. Motor Vehicles. All vehicles must observe a 5 m.p.h. speed limit. Roads are narrow and uneven. It is prohibited to leave any motor vehicle on any road or driveway within the Conservation Cemetery or to park in such a position as to prevent other vehicles from passing. Except for the purposes of providing access to persons with disabilities or health and mobility issues, parking is permitted only in clearly designated areas. The management may remove any vehicles violating these rules from the property at the vehicle owner’s expense.

11. Trash. There are no garbage, recycling, or other disposal facilities on the property. All visitors must remove their trash from the Conservation Cemetery when leaving.

12. No Solicitation. No advertising, signs, or other posts or displays are permitted within the Conservation Cemetery, at the cemetery entrance, or along any public right-of-way adjacent to the cemetery.

13. Outside Workers. No workers other than persons authorized by the management will be permitted to work within the Conservation Cemetery. Unless prior arrangements are made, the management and its agents, employees, and contractors are not permitted to perform any work at the direction of or for the benefit of any particular plot holder.

14. Loss or Damage. VISITATION OR USE OF THE CONSERVATION CEMETERY FOR ANY PURPOSE, INCLUDING BURIAL, IS AT THE USER OR VISITOR’S OWN AND SOLE RISK. THE MANAGEMENT AND PROPERTY OWNER EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSS, DAMAGE, HARM, INJURY OR DEATH TO GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, INCLUDING (WITHOUT LIMITATION) DAMAGES RESULTING FROM WEATHER, THIEVES, VANDALS, THIRD PARTIES, TRESPASSERS, ACTS OF GOD, OR OTHER SUCH CAUSES, WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE DIRECT OR COLLATERAL, WHETHER ARISING OUT OF NATURAL CAUSES OR CONDITIONS OR OUT OF THE ACTIONS OR OMISSIONS OF ANY PERSON(S), AND WHETHER IN THE NATURE OF CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, OR OTHERWISE. EACH USER OR VISITOR EXPRESSLY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR RELIEF OF ANY KIND FROM THE MANAGEMENT OR PROPERTY OWNER FOR ANY OF THE FOREGOING.

15. Enforcement. Any person who violates these Rules, as amended from time to time, may be charged by the Property Owner or the Management with a penalty or penalties in an amount that the Property Owner or the Management estimate, reasonably and in good faith, to be equal to the costs of remedying and addressing the effects of the violation (including attorneys’ fees, costs of court, and the value of time spent remedying and addressing the violation and the effects of the violation). Pursuant to applicable Texas law, the foregoing penalties may be enforced and collected in any court having jurisdiction over the conservation cemetery, or in any applicable arbitration proceeding.

16. Dispute Resolution. The Property Owner is empowered to interpret and enforce these Rules in the Property Owner’s sole discretion. Any dispute of any kind arising out of visitation or use of the Conservation Cemetery, whether brought by a claimant or the claimant’s heirs or third- party beneficiaries, shall be conclusively decided in binding arbitration administered by the Better Business Bureau in Austin, Texas. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Property Owner and Management may seek injunctive and equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of posting a bond, in any action to enforce these Rules or to preserve the integrity of the Conservation Cemetery and the goals thereof. USERS AND VISITORS OF THE CONSERVATION CEMETERY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO ASSERT CLAIMS AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY AS A REPRESENTATIVE OR MEMBER IN ANY CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, EXCEPT WHERE SUCH WAIVER IS PROHIBITED BY LAW OR DEEMED BY A COURT OF LAW TO BE AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY.

17. Amendments. These Rules may be amended by a writing executed by the Property Owner. Such Rules, as amended, shall become effective and binding on all visitors and users of the Conservation Cemetery after they have been posted in plain sight near the entrance of the Conservation Cemetery for a period of seven (7) days. The Property Owner and Manager may, but need not, post notice of such changes on the Conservation Cemetery’s website and distribute notice to plot holders and their families. Neither any Amendments to these Rules nor the Rules as amended need to be filed with the County Clerk or any other governmental authority in order to become binding.

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