An Unconventional Weapon Against Future Forest Fires: Goats

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In 2020, Ms. Malmberg co-founded the non-profit Goatapelli Foundation to educate people on how to use goats to prevent wildfires. He said that only a few of the nearly 200 participants started their own business. Ms Malmberg said start-up costs, including her own trained equipment and livestock, could total $360,000.

“Lani is a leading example of someone who has carved the road and is a pioneer in this prescription grazing industry,” said Brittany Cole-Bush, one of Ms. Malmberg’s mentees and owner of Shepherdess Land and Livestock in Ojai Valley, California. “We want to support ecology as much as possible. We want to support the growth of native perennial grasses. “Using goats and sheep in her work, Ms. Cole-Bush believes reinforcing perennial grasses instead of planting grass every year will make the land more drought-resistant.

Ms. Malmberg, who holds a master’s degree in weed science, Colorado State UniversitySpends most of the year traveling the West on business. Last year, for the first time, the Bureau of Land Management contracted Ms. Malmberg and her goats to reduce fires in Carbondale, Colo.

“We thought the goats could achieve our goals with their ability to work on steep slopes,” said Kristy Wallner, a land management specialist for the bureau’s Colorado Valley field office. “It will be a useful tool for us to use going forward.”

rush to avoid worsening forest firesState and local agencies looking to weed out excessive weeds rely on herbicides and machinery, as well as predicted burns: deliberate fires that periodically clear bushes, dead trees, and other fuels.

“Because of bushfires, more and more people understand the urgency and are willing to try different means beyond what they are used to,” said Jenn Balch, board member of the Goatapelli Foundation. meadows and overgrown recreation areas.

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