Grazing goats maintain fire break

Goats take a water break

The number of goats removing vegetation that could fuel fires near San Diego Country Estates has grown from 600 to 1,400. As of May 9, they were two-thirds of the way through their 100-acre project in the Cleveland National Forest, according to officials. They started on April 23. It takes a lot of animals to forage those acres, said Ray Holes, owner of Prescriptive Livestock Services in Kennewick, Wash. For 15 years, Holes has been delivering goats for large grazing projects throughout the Western states, expanding his herd to 9,000. “We consider them a tool,” Holes said of the goats. The forest service considers the goat grazing project to maintain the San Vicente/Barona Mesa Community Defense line that protects the Estates, and other fuel breaks, an experiment. Palomar District Ranger Joan Friedlander said she was nervous about the reaction of residents but has received positive feedback. “Just very excited myself to see the results,” she said. The goal, Forest Service Fuels Battalion Chief Tim Gray said, is a 75 percent reduction in vegetation...more

You mean livestock grazing can lead to healthy and safe forests?  Yes, but you see this is only an "experiment".