Goats in west Reno help with fire prevention
1 min read
About 250 goats are munching on weeds in west Reno in an effort to reduce fire danger near homes. The City of Reno, NV Energy and the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) are partnering on the effort to use the ungulates to reduce flammable fuels that spur dangerous wildfires.
“This is just the beginning of Reno’s larger plan to rid the Rosewood Canyon of dangerous overgrown and dead vegetation and provide defensible space between green natural native vegetation and structures,” said Reno Fire Marshal Tray Palmer.
High Desert Graziers of Smith Valley is managing the animals on 30 acres of city-owned property near Cashill Boulevard and Patidar Drive. The goats are guarded by specially trained guard dogs, so people and pets should not enter the area.
“By the end of the year we hope to bring in other hand crews and equipment to finish the mitigation treatment in the north and south canyons as well,” Palmer added. Cheatgrass is a primary target for goat-grazing effort. A fine fuel, the invasive weed is incredibly flammable.
