News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Upper Cumberland Veterans Cemetery rejected for federal funding for a second straight year by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Patrick Rice is the State Department of Veteran Services Cemetery Operations Assistant Commissioner. He said the location of the proposed project impacted the application.
“The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs determines funding allocations based on the number of new Veteran populations a project will serve compared to others,” Rice said. “According to the USDVA, the proposed cemetery in the Upper Cumberland does not serve any new Veterans. While we disagree with their assessment, they feel the area is adequately covered by a combination of other state and federal VA cemeteries.”
The state purchased some 120 acres for the project last year along Country Club Road in White County. Rice said the federal department’s focus on expanding existing cemeteries also caused the funding application to rank near the bottom.
“The VA right now is operating to address the expansion issues for existing cemeteries and that is cemeteries that are currently open and operational but are in danger of not having enough open crypts and columbariums,” Rice said.
Rice said the state plans to request funding once again next fiscal year. Rice said the department is working with federal partners to get a part of some $40 to $50 million in grants.
“We’ve got 122 other veteran cemeteries that are competing for the same dollars for expansion and establishments,” Rice said. “Right now, there is just not enough funding to go around.”
