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Timothy SpainDirector, First Notice of Death Office

October 22-26, 2012

Tribal Veterans RepresentativeAnnual Training

% o

f V

eter

ans

Ser

ved

Fiscal Year

*By an open national, state or tribal Veterans cemetery within 75 miles of home2

National Cemetery Administration131 National Cemeteries

(91 Open, 40 Closed)

• Build New Cemeteries

• Expand Existing Cemeteries

• Urban Initiative

• Rural Initiative3

Build New Cemeteries

Eastern NE area

Western FL area East Central

FL area

Northwestern NY area

South Central CO area

New National Cemetery

4

Expand Existing Cemeteries

• Install Crypt Burial Sections

• Construct Columbaria

• Acquire Adjacent LandNew Columbarium

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, MO

5

Benefits of Pre-Placed Crypts

6

Puerto Rico National Cemetery, Bayamon, PR

Urban Initiative

New York City area

Los Angeles area

Chicagoarea

San Francisco area

Urban InitiativeColumbarium-only Sites

Indianapolisarea

7

Rural Initiative

MT

IDWY

NVUT

ND

WIME

National Veterans Burial Grounds

8

Memorial Programs Service

• FY 12 Projections– Headstones and Markers – 342,687 – Medallions – 6,940– Total – 349,627

9

Newest Emblems of Belief

10

Humanist Luther Rose

Four Directions Medicine Wheel

Church of Nazarene

Landing Eagle

Apprenticeship Program for Homeless Veterans

• Year-long, paid employment training leading to full-time employment

• In areas with large numbers of homeless Vets (FL, PR, TN, TX)

• First class in 2012; permanent program by 2014Apprenticeship Program

training will be modeled on NCA’s Caretaker Course

11

12

Veteran Cemetery Grants Service

13

Veterans Cemetery Grants Service

• Established 1978

• Assist states, territories and tribal governments to establish, expand & improve Veteran cemeteries

• FY 2013 President’s Budget: $46 Million

1414

Veterans Cemetery Grants Service

• VA provides 100% of development costs

• More than $529 million awarded since 1980

• 88 cemeteries in 41 states, Guam & Saipan• 6 new cemeteries under construction

• More than 31,500 interments in FY 2012

Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery – Agawam, MA

Southern Wisconsin VeteransMemorial Cemetery – Union Grove WI

15

Newest State Cemeteries

• Birdeye, Arkansas – Opened February 15, 2012

• Leesville, Louisiana– Opened February 29, 2012

• Charleston, West Virginia– Opened May 28, 2012

16

New Cemeteries OpenedFrom 2005 to 2012

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Redding, CA Saipan Radcliff, KY Adel, IA Manhattan, KSMedical Lake,

WA Alliance, NE Leesville, LA

Killeen, TX Mission, TX Keithville, LA Missoula, MT Abilene, TX

Fort Leonard Wood, MO

Dublin, VA Birdeye, AR

Anderson, SCWilliamstown,

KY Springvale, ME Newton, MSCharleston,

WV

Glennville,

GA Greenup, KY Knoxville, TN

Tucson, AZ (Pascua Yaqui

Tribe)

Corpus Christi,

TX

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• Rosebud, SD – Spring 2013 (Rosebud Sioux Tribe)

• Humboldt, CA – Spring 2013 (Yurok Tribe)

• Aguadilla, PR – Spring 2013 • Spanish Fort, AL – Spring 2013 • Covington, LA – Winter 2014• Pine Ridge, SD – Winter 2014 (Oglala Sioux Tribe)

New Cemeteries Under Construction - Opening

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Process Overview (Grant Cycle)• Submit grant pre-application to VA (due 01JUL)

– Matching Funds & Legislation/Resolution (due 15AUG) • VA Prioritizes grant pre-applications (30SEP)• Congress authorizes/approves Federal Budget (01OCT)• VA develops Operating Plan (using approved annual budget)

– VA sends Grant Opportunity/Regret letters to states/tribes• Design/Bid Process (range 4-8 months)

– Architect & Engineering firm hired; collaborate with Project Managers– Land acquisition/Environmental Assessments/Geotechnical Analysis– Iterative process for site design development, review, approval – Construction bids obtained; lowest cost bid selected

• Submit final grant application to VA• VA reviews/approves grant• Site construction/development

– Reimbursement as project progresses

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Priority 1 – (Burial Option Depletion < 5 yrs) Projects for gravesite expansion or improvements that are needed to continue service at an existing veterans cemetery. This includes phased development of currently undeveloped land.

Priority 2 - Projects for the establishment of new cemeteries.

Priority 3 - (Burial Option Depletion > 5 yrs) Planned phased gravesite developments prior to need.

Priority 4 - Other improvements to cemetery appearance or infrastructure, such as building expansion and upgrades to roads and irrigation systems that are not directly related to the development of new gravesites.

Project Priority Groups

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FY 2013 Priority List • 95 Total Preapplications - value $276M • 16 New Preapplications - value $35.9M

• 25 Establish New Cemeteries - 8 with Design Development Funding

• 6 Tribal Gov. Preapplications

• Signed by VA Secretary Shinseki on 9/27/12

21

Public Law 109-461

American Indian Tribal Government Grants

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• Awarded in the same manner as states

• 564 Federally recognized Tribal Governments

• Significant interest

• Opportunity to serve more veterans

• Addressing cultural differences

Tribal Government Grants

23

• FY 2008 first contact w/Federally recognized Tribal Governments• 6 Grant Preapplications on the FY 2013 Priority List• Four Tribal Government grants awarded since FY 2011

-Rosebud Sioux Tribe (SD)-$6.9M New establishment-Grant awarded 8/15/11

-Yurok Tribe (CA)-$3.3M New establishment-Grant awarded 9/9/11

-Pascua Yaqui Tribe (AZ)-$322K New establishment-Grant awarded 9/9/11-Opened/Dedicated 11/11/11

-Oglala Sioux Tribe (SD)-$6.5M New establishment-Grant awarded 9/7/12

Tribal Government Grants

2013 Priority List Ranking of Tribal Government Construction Grants

• #26 OK-12-02 Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Wewoka, Oklahoma estimated grant $1M (offered grant opportunity for 2013)

• #27 CA-12-08 Big Sandy Rancheria, Auberry, California estimated grant $550K (offered grant opportunity for 2013)

• #78 AZ-09-07 Navajo Nation, Chinle, Arizona estimated grant $9.6M• #81 OK-08-01 Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Pawnee, Oklahoma

estimated grant $1.9M• #82 NV-09-12 Fallon Pauite-Shoshone Tribe, Fallon, Nevada

estimated grant $1.2M• #83 CA-08-02 Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, Tuolumne,

California estimated grant $57,000

First Operational Tribal CemeteryMonte Calvario Cemetery Tucson, Arizona

Pascua Yaqui TribeDedication: November 11, 2011Opened: November 11, 2011

Monte Calvario Cemetery

• Grant awarded in FY 2011 for $322,554• Existing cemetery, funded Veterans Section of

cemetery• Grant funded the construction of full casketed

gravesites, landscaping, and supporting infrastructure.

• Provides a burial option to approximately 188 unserved Pascua Yaqui Tribe Veterans and their families.

Grant Requirements

• Granted only to states, federally recognized tribal government, or U.S. territories

• 100% of the development cost for an approved project• VA can provide for operating equipment for new

cemeteries• VA does not provide for acquisition of land• Tribal government cemeteries must be on tribal trust land• The cemetery should consider a 50 year life span at

minimum, however our program develops in 10 year increments

• Must conform to NCA standards and guidelines for site selection, planning and construction

Operations and Maintenance

• Cemeteries must be operated solely for the burial of service members who die on active duty, veterans, and their eligible spouses and dependent children

• Maintained and operated according to the operational standards and measures of NCA

• Administration, operation, and maintenance is solely the responsibility of the state, territory or tribal government.

• State or Tribal Government will receive $700 Plot Allowance for each Veteran interred.– Benefit administered by Veterans Benefits Administration

(VBA), must apply via VA Regional Office– Most States use plot allowance and charges for dependent

burials for cemetery operations.

Grants Process

1. Submit pre-application through grants.gov by July 1st for consideration the following fiscal year

2. Grant Opportunity can be searched by CFDA 64.203

3. Once submitted, we mail and email viability letter to contact listed on pre-application with next steps

Grants Process continued…Next Steps

• To rank high on the Priority List projects must have the following:

• State or Tribal Matching Funds

• State Legislation or Tribal Resolution supporting the project

State or Tribal Matching Funds

• Matching Funds are 10% of the estimated construction costs

• Matching Funds are reimbursable at the time of grant award

• Matching Funds are used to develop plans, drawings, and specifications

• Complete VA Form 40-0895-6 located on internet (http://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-0895-6.pdf)

Legislation/Tribal Resolution

• Legislation must include commitment to own, operate and maintain a Veterans Cemetery in accordance with National Cemetery Administration’s Guidelines

Important Dates

• July 1st

• All pre-applications must be in grants.gov by July 1st to be considered for 2013 funding

• August 15th

• Legislation and Matching Funds must be received by VCGS for highest ranking possible on Priority List

34

Public Law 110-157

Operations and Maintenance Grants

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Operations and Maintenance Grants

NCA Appearance Standards

• Cleanliness of Headstones, Markers & Niche Covers

• Height & Alignment of Headstones & Markers

• Leveling Gravesites

• Turf Conditions

Background Information

Tribal Veterans Cemeteries

• Tribal Veteran Cemeteries aim to honor tribal customs and traditions– Use of tribal symbols– Conduct service longer than 15 minutes– Conduct graveside burials– Horse tie-up area at the committal service shelter– Area set aside for traditional scaffold burials

Residency Requirement vs. Tribal Requirement

• National cemeteries allow all eligible veterans to be interred at national cemeteries

• States have the option to have a residency requirement as an additional eligibility requirement for their cemetery. – Example: Must have lived in state for 2 years

• Tribal governments may use a tribal requirement– Example: Any Sioux veteran can be interred at cemetery

Maintenance Options Small Facilities

-The State of Texas provides personnel for the administrative duties and contracts the maintenance and operations portion of the work.

-Hawaii contracts with the Hawaii Department of Transportation for maintenance and the funeral homes perform services and interments.

-Puerto Rico will contract with the City of Aguadilla for operations and maintenance.

-Oglala Sioux Tribe plans to utilize staff from the Oglala Lakota College for maintenance.

-Rosebud Sioux Tribe plans to utilize existing staff from another department to perform maintenance.

Joshua de Leon, Directorjoshua.deleon@va.gov (202) 632-7369

Howard Orr, Project Managerhoward.orr@va.gov(202) 632-7203

Tom Paquelet, Project Managerthomas.paquelet@va.gov(202) 632-7202

LaQuisha Barnes, Program Specialistlaquisha.barnes@va.gov(202) 632-7201

VCGS Contact list