Ridge neighborhood to get rid of weeds,
grass, and oak sprouts.
“The neighborhood embraced mitigation and preparedness on their own,” said Einar Jensen with South Metro Fire and Rescue, “and they looked to America’s PrepareAthon! resources for support.”
plans as they got together to watch the goats.
Barb Saenger, resident member of the Pine Ridge board and head of fire mitigation projects, chose to use the goats after attending the Douglas County seminar on fire safety in May 2015 following unsuccessful attempts at reducing wildfire fuel using mechanical equipment.
Each year, the city works with Lani Malmberg, local business owner of Goat Green, to have the goats eat down vegetation to lower the wildfire risk in a natural way that is good for the environment.
“Goats have proven to be useful tools when it comes to fire mitigation,” according to Jensen. “Unlike machinery, goats eat weeds and oak from the root, which helps decrease its return.”
Visit www.castlepinesgov.com/here-we-goat-again for more information about the benefits of using goats for wildfire mitigation and how your community can plan similar actions.