A couple in northeast Washington spent 30 years restoring a neglected tree farm. Last month, they donated it for research
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Miners began working on what they call Casa Becca del Norté, or Becky’s House of the North, after realizing the land had been poorly mismanaged. Over the next 30 years, they planted more than 11,000 ponderosa pines and western larch trees. They also installed more than 700 nest boxes, slowly bringing life back to the forest. Today, more than 80 species of birds and small animals call the tree farm home.
The Miners said they subsequently reached out to multiple other agencies, including the Department of Resources, the National Resource Conservation Service and Stevens County Conservation District, to learn how to best grow their tree farm.