Members of the Ashe County Cemetery Committee briefed the Board of Commissioners on inventory, volunteer coordination and storm impacts to historic burial sites across the county.

Committee members said they have visited roughly 392 cemeteries and located 1,181 burial sites in the county's records. They reported cleaning 44 cemeteries, and 19 of those have identified local adopters who will maintain the sites going forward. Committee members said they are limiting cleanups to cemeteries that have identified adopters to avoid repeat work where graves quickly revert to overgrowth.

The committee described use of a ground-penetrating radar unit to locate graves at a formerly lost African American slave cemetery in the Nathan's Creek area, where they identified 48 graves. They said volunteers number about 20 to 25 who can be called on regularly, and described a cemetery walk and a “Night at the Museum” event planned to raise awareness.

Committee members reported storm and flood damage to remote sites such as Rye Cove and Rock Hose cemeteries that have fallen trees blocking access and graves submerged or damaged by floodwaters. They said some cemeteries are effectively destroyed and require heavy equipment to restore, noting that funding or owner applications would have been needed earlier to secure assistance.

Several cemeteries remain difficult to access because of landowner refusals; the committee cited Wilburn Waters Cemetery as an example where descendants live out of state and access is currently denied. Members said they have recorded Confederate, Revolutionary War and Native American burials among county sites and that there are roughly 330–350 abandoned cemeteries that need caretakers.

Commissioners and committee members discussed an ordinance to address desecration and use of cemeteries (for example, deer stands placed inside burial grounds) and noted existing North Carolina law prohibits hunting in cemeteries; the committee said they plan to pursue county-level ordinance language to support enforcement.