The law granted a patent for 160 acres to any man who kept a gun and ammunition, built a house, cultivated five acres of the land and remained there for at least five years. In 1842, Congress encouraged settlement here by establishing the Armed Occupation Act. Currently, Withlacoochee State Forest is the second-largest state forest in Florida, divided into eight distinct tracts of land. Forest Service managed the property until a lease-purchase agreement transferred it to the Florida Board of Forestry in 1958. Withlacoochee State Forest was acquired by the federal government from private landowners between 19 under the provisions of the U.S.

Items considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery, or considered hazardous to cemetery personnel are prohibited.įlorida National Cemetery is located in the Withlacoochee State Forest, approximately 50 miles north of Tampa in Sumter County, FL. Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, breakable objects, and similar items are not permitted on the graves. No item or object may be attached to a headstone or marker in a national cemetery. Seasonal Holiday Decorations such as Christmas wreaths, potted poinsettias and other seasonal decorations may be placed on graves from December 1 through January 20. Metal flower stands are no longer authorized at the gravesites due to safety concerns.Īrtificial flowers and potted plants will be allowed on graves for a period extending 10 days before through 10 days after Easter Sunday and Memorial Day. These containers are recycled-please do not remove them from the cemetery. Flowers will be removed when they become unsightly or it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.Ī limited number of floral containers are located in bins in front of the burial sections-they are available as a courtesy. Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial are limited to three for casket burials and one for cremation burials. Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time.

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