JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Since the National Cemetery Expansion Act was signed into law Nov. 11, 2003, the assumption has been that the new cemetery would be placed on a proposed 2,000-acre site in Duval County. But Rep. Ander Crenshaw's office said there is now a move afoot by Republican Rep. John Mica to have the national cemetery located further south, in Flagler County.

The bill does not specifically state that the cemetery must be located in Duval County, but only indicates the plot should be "near Jacksonville."

The Expansion Act was a result of the National Cemetery Administration's intent to make burial available in a state or national cemetery within 75 miles of many veterans' homes. With 325,000 veterans living within 75 miles of Jacksonville, a cemetery in the area would serve those needs.

In response to the new challenge, Reps. Crenshaw and Corrine Brown released a joint letter to the Veteran Administration Friday, underscoring the need for northeast Florida's next national cemetery to be located in Duval County:

"A cemetery in Jacksonville would serve the needs of veterans living in both northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. A cemetery placed further south than Duval County would exclude numerous veterans in southeast Georgia and would include only a small amount of additional veterans in Florida."

The letter goes on to explain that the proposed site, located five minutes north of the Jacksonville International Airport and Interstate 95, was "unanimously approved by the Jacksonville City Council, Mayor John Peyton and his administration, the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Jacksonville International Airport, and Florida State Representative Stan Jordan."

The proposed cemetery in Jacksonville would also be buffered to the north by a 700-acre park "which makes this a peaceful, serene and appropriate environment for a national cemetery."

A VA inspection team will be in later this month to look at the site on the Northside and another one near Palm Coast.