At Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, a new group of workers has arrived with a rather unusual job description. They are expected to spend the coming months eating their way through dry vegetation.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
The base has brought in 471 goats as part of a pilot project aimed at reducing the amount of flammable brush around parts of the installation. Rather than relying entirely on machinery or sending crews into difficult terrain, officials are testing whether controlled grazing can provide another way to prepare potential fire breaks.
The trial began in September and is expected to continue until the end of the year, with the animals working across several hundred acres.
Why goats are being used at MCAS Miramar
The project is focused initially on East Miramar, including land associated with the base's explosive ordnance division. The area presents a particular challenge because vegetation can become a source of wildfire fuel while the rough ground makes access difficult for personnel.
For firefighters and other crews, reaching some sections on foot can be hazardous. That is where the goats come in. They can move across uneven ground while feeding on vegetation, with their grazing and trampling expected to reduce the amount of dry material left standing.
As reported by NBC 7 San Diego, Cole Bush, who runs Shepherdess Land and Livestock with her mother, is overseeing the livestock operation. The company is supplying not only the goats but also the herding dogs, a shepherd and the other services needed to manage the herd during the trial. The animals did not need much encouragement when they arrived. They began feeding on a designated hillside within minutes.
471 goats could clear up to five acres of vegetation each day
The pace of the grazing will depend on the vegetation and conditions at each site. Bush said the goats can work through between one and five acres in a day. That means the 471 animals will have several months to work across the areas selected for the pilot. The intention is not simply to remove every plant. Instead, the grazing is being tested as a practical way of reducing vegetation in places where creating and maintaining fire breaks can be complicated.
If the approach proves useful, the programme could eventually extend to other parts of the installation. One longer-term possibility is grazing along the base perimeter, where a reduced layer of vegetation could form a buffer between the military property and surrounding communities.
