Conservation Stories: Melissa & Maxx Fanucci

When Melissa and Maxx Fanucci found their new property, they’d bought it for the house and the potential pasture – but the forest quickly became their favorite part.

Melissa and Maxx Fanucci have been in love with Whatcom County since the 1990s. They periodically left for new opportunities or to travel, but they keep being called back to this special area. “Volcanoes, mountains, the sea, archipelagos, forests, fertile pastures, all minutes from a vibrant city? For me, Whatcom County is the most beautiful place on Earth.” They lived in Bellingham for several years but wanted more space for their goats. Finally, they found the perfect property. “When we looked at this place, we loved the old house and garden, and the forest really appealed to us.”

Melissa loves the berries that can be found in the older part of her forest, that the Fanucci's call the "Enchanted Loop."

They immediately got to work making their dreams a reality, building a space for their goats, planting their favorite flowers, and developing a compost system. A large portion of their property was a forest intermixed with wetlands and clearings overrun with invasive blackberries. “Originally, we thought of the wooded parcel as land we could potentially clear for future pasture. [However], we have a section of the forest we call the ‘enchanted loop;’ it’s a small section full of tall, older trees that provide dense shade that covers a vibrant understory of ferns, mosses, and berries. As we walked through its wild beauty, we realized what we really wanted was to preserve it.”

The Fanuccis worked with Whatcom CD's Forest Stewardship Specialist, to manage their forest in a way that would encourage the rest of their forest to be like their Enchanted Loop.

Melissa and Maxx shifted their focus to how would they encourage the rest of their forest to be like their enchanted loop. “Since we were new to land management and trees in particular, we wanted to learn everything we could about the health of the woods. We were looking at hiring a forest consultant, then discovered the Whatcom Conservation District and its forestry program. For no cost, they send an expert to your property to help you plan for whatever goals you are striving for by assessing the health of the forest and offering advice. They helped us identify trees, evaluated its general health and diversity, and suggested species to plant to improve the forest for wildlife.”

Whatcom Conservation District’s (Whatcom CD) new Forest Stewardship Program aims to work with forest owners to provide the tools and expertise needed to manage their forests, whether your goals include timber harvest, conservation, recreation, or all the above. Our Forest Stewardship Specialist can provide free, confidential, and non-regulatory site visits to assess forest health and provide forest management plans. We can even provide cost share for forest management practices.

“Whatcom CD helped us plan a reforestation project that included a range of native shrubs, hardwoods, riparian plants, and conifers. They identified the best places for planting, and how many trees we would need. Finally, they’ll reimburse us for most of the cost of having an ecological restoration crew clear the blackberries and other invasive species, plant 600 trees, and come back in a few months to perform maintenance.”

- Melissa & Maxx Fanucci

Melissa and Maxx partnered with Whatcom CD to reforest areas on their property that had become overgrown with invasive Himalayan blackberries. Whatcom CD did the planning and helped cover the cost of the project.

Melissa and Maxx have excitedly watched the new trees and shrubs go into the ground, and can't wait to watch them grow over the years.

The Fanuccis have been thrilled with the whole experience, despite some initial worries. “We had some initial concerns signing the contract with Whatcom CD as to what we were getting into long term. What does it mean to have a partnership with Whatcom CD for 15 years? Would that mean they could come onto our property whenever, and would we be held responsible for dead trees, or not allowed to make improvements or changes? What if we need to sell the property? I was relieved to learn that Whatcom CD’s stewardship is simply focused on making sure the trees that have been planted will not be harvested or sold for the duration of the project life. Whatcom CD won’t be showing up unannounced. If we have to sell, the buyers can choose whether or not to continue the partnership with the Whatcom CD. I’ve learned so much about plants, trees, planting, riparian zones, mud pits, rotting wood, and the full cycle of life since we started this project. I would recommend Whatcom CD to anyone with a forest. The benefits of having a team of experts work with you to improve your property for free, not to mention to help you financially make your plans come to fruition, are immeasurable.”

If you have a forest on your property, reach out to Whatcom CD today! We can help you with a free and confidential site visit to help you better understand your forest and make or meet your forest goals.

“You don’t have to have a background in forestry to reach out. Improving the forest on small properties is just as important for creating habitat as on large properties.”

– Josh Kursky, Whatcom CD Forest Stewardship Specialist