More Than 500 Goats Graze a County Park in County Fire's First Targeted Grazing Pilot
San Diego County, California, reported on October 30 that about 525 goats have moved into Star Valley Park in Valley Center to graze down brush and weeds, in San Diego County Fire's first targeted grazing pilot, using a herd in place of machinery and hand crews to clear fire-prone vegetation.
The county said the goats will work through about 38 acres of brush over roughly two weeks. Targeted grazing has spread across California as a wildfire prevention tool: goats can reach slopes that machines cannot, graze to a controlled height and density, and do the work without sparks or noise.
County Fire is seeking a $300,000 grant from the Cal Fire Wildfire Prevention Program to extend the approach to more county parks and open spaces; the grant is still pending. The county asked Star Valley Park visitors to keep their distance from the herd and its guard dogs during the grazing period and not to feed the animals.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 山羊放牧除草（资料图）。Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。 / Goats grazing (file photo). Via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
