Local Farm Bureau tells supervisors goats and sheep together reduce wildfire fuels without pesticides

Speakers at the Lake County Board meeting argued that combined sheep-and-goat grazing offers distinct benefits for wildfire-fuel reduction and urged the board to back rules that allow operators to tend both species without prohibitive payroll costs.

Serena Nate of the Lake County Farm Bureau told the board that "prescribed grazing by sheeps and goats, which offers not only, mitigation, but also a climate and environmental friendly way to do this without resorting to pesticides or fossil fuels." She and other commenters said sheep tend grassy areas while goats browse brush and fibrous plants that can carry fire.

Tom Lasik, speaking for himself, said grazing enables fuel mitigation on terrain too steep for tractors or dozers and urged the board to support the letter to state leaders to preserve that tool.