California county sees fit to restrict Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains

April 30, 2026/Cemetery, Products, Regulations/

Over the last month or so we have followed a growing discontent in Fresno County, California, and specifically an area along the San Joaquin River about the process of Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains being spread on public land. As you can read in this recent article from the Desert Sun “Fresno County officials say they were “shocked” to learn that compost made from human remains was being spread on public land along the San Joaquin River in Central California”.

The issue came about as it became known that the San Joaquin River Parkway Trust had an agreement with Earth Funerals, who is described as “a Washington‑based company that promotes human composting as an alternative to burial or cremation”. According to the Desert Sun article, “The revelation has triggered backlash from county leaders, a state agency, and local tribes who say the practice crossed legal and cultural lines”.

According to this article from the Mid-Valley Times, “Fresno County has introduced a new law banning the spread of reduced human remains, also known as human compost, on some public and private lands”.

Again, according to the Mid-Valley Times article, “The practice (of Natural Organic Reduction) is currently allowed in 13 states, according to the National Funeral Directors Association, and will become legal in California next year. Although the process is not permitted in the state at the moment, there is no existing state law that specifically bans the spreading of the soil/compost that is made from natural organic reduction”.

The article continues with this information:

“Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, state law will regulate the spreading of reduced human remains in the same way it regulates cremated remains.

People will be able to scatter remains in areas where no local prohibition exists, they have the written permission of the property owner or government agency and remains are not in a container or distinguishable to the public.

This means the new law in Fresno County — housed under the section of the county ordinance code that regulates the land application of biosolids — would be considered a local prohibition under state law. People could still scatter reduced human remains on private property, however, so long as it is not on or near where food is grown for human consumption.”

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take: I’m somewhat surprised that this issue had not been brought up before this time. However, Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) is a relatively new process for human disposition and it will take the general public, and many religious groups, time to understand the process and then make their opinions known.

It would not be realistic to assume that issues with the process of NOR and memorialization of the final NOR remains would be immediatley accepted by all parties who may have an interest — including public land owners.

Related article — U.S. Bishops: New methods of body disposal go against church teaching. Catholic Diocese of Wichita (KS)

Related Note: It should be noted that “the Catholic Church had some of the same reservations against the practice of cremation for a long time. “It was not until 1963 that the Vatican lifted the prohibtion against cremation, allowing it for Catholics provided it is not chosen as a denial of Christian dogmas like the resurrection of the body. While the Church still prefers traditional burial, the change recognized that cremation is not intrinsically opposed to the faith, provided ashes are treated with respect and buried in sacred ground.”

Additional Information — What I believe to be the country’s first Natural Organic Reduction centric funeral home, Recompose Green Funeral Home, has been named, according to their website, the Pacific Northwest’s Best Funeral Home for 2023, 2024, and 2025. You can learn more about the company here.

Here is the website for Earth Funeral.

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