Better Protect Your Home/Property/Community From Fire:
How many times have you heard about control burns getting out of control? Or a lawn mower or weed whacker hitting a rock and sparking a fire? If you have a large piece of property or a hillside that needs brush or weed clearing – consider using “goats” to do the job. This company uses a combination of tools, including goats, to get the job done. But don’t put it off. It’s year round fire season in San Diego County, and you can do a lot to reduce the intensity of a fire – and possibly save your home – your community and help firefighters as well.
If you have questions contact Environmental Land Management direct at (619) 234-4555. You can also visit their website to learn more: http://www.elmgoats.com/. Again, they use a combination of techniques, from hand tools, mastication machinery and goats. These methods used by ELM, create a longer lasting fuel mitigation for your property in case of fire. HOA’s or those with large property to clear should take special notice of these services.
*When it comes to neighborhood problems on a smaller scale…report a concern in your neighborhood? If you see a property that needs brush clearing or trash removal clean-up please contact Fire Prevention Services.
It’s a service that clears smaller areas of fire hazards such as “weeds, brush, litter, trash, rubbish etc. Please call (619) 562-1058. Call this number if you’d like report fire hazards near your home! You can also visit their web site at Fire Prevention Services Inc.
Hearing mixed messages on the use of Goats? See what FEMA has to say…
Laguna Beach Goat Vegetation Management Project
Full Mitigation Best Practice Story
Orange County, California
Laguna Beach, CA – Laguna Beach has been using goats as part of its fuel reduction and vegetation management program since the early 1990s. City Manager Ken Frank got the idea from a similar program in the San Francisco Bay area. The program was expanded after a wildfire burned across 14,000 acres, destroying or damaging 441 homes in the beach community in 1993.
Because of the climate, types of natural vegetation, and expansive wildlands in Southern California, including wildlands that reach into the city, there is an ongoing risk of wildfires. Fully aware of the risk, the Laguna Beach Fire Department is very proactive in vegetation management.
One of the best ways to control wildfires is to control the amount of fuel available to feed the flames. These areas can be difficult to reach by most vegetation management equipment due to the nature of the terrain – rocks, canyons, and steep inclines. The introduction of goat herds in these areas has proven to be an ideal solution to the problem.
In Laguna Beach, goats play a significant role in reducing ground fuel loads, with a few hand crews used in certain places. “The goats are very effective,” said Ray Lardie, Fire Prevention officer who coordinates the program for the City. “They can go where people can’t.”
In 1995, Laguna Beach applied for and received a grant from the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), which is administered by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. FEMA’s grant was $396,000 and the city’s share of costs for the expanded program was $132,000. The FEMA grant funded the program for two years and the city has continued the effort ever since, at an annual cost of $125,000.
The goats work exclusively on 11 fuel modification zones located on the outside edges of the city. Since California weather allows it, the goats work year-round and are moved from place-to-place as needed. Depending on the amount of rain and vegetation growth each year, as few as 75 and as many as 600 goats are used. A movable goat pen with electric fencing keeps the goats from wandering off and protects them from coyotes and other wild animals, said Lardie.
A number of states, including Nevada and Utah, use the same strategy to reduce fuels in their wildland urban interface areas. According to Utah State University, goats can be used for a variety of land management purposes, such as reducing the incidence of wildfire, rangeland improvement, riparian and watershed management, improving wildlife habitat, and reducing nutrient competition in tree plantations.
Fuel reduction by goat grazing is more widely accepted than chemical and mechanical alternatives because of its sustainability. Another added benefit to the program is the cost, which can be considerably lower than other methods available.
Environmental concerns are taken into consideration before the program can be implemented in each fuel modification area. A county permit is obtained and botanists study the area, flagging endangered species. Environmentally sensitive plants are fenced off to protect them from the goats.
“It’s like a petting zoo around here. People bring their kids to see the goats all the time,” said Lardie, adding, “the majority of the community is very supportive of the program.”
