Burnsville's goat grazing pilot project

Marc Schulte/Unsplash

BURNSVILLE, MN — Burnsville's Goat Grazing is a pilot project initiated by the city at Civic Center Park to test the effectiveness of goat grazing as a habitat management tool started in fall 2018.

As land management is a challenging task, especially when dealing with invasive plants like common buckthorn, it is critical to have a variety of land management tools on hand. Prescribed grazing with goats is one of the potential tools being tested by the city in the fight against buckthorn and other unwanted vegetation.

As the pilot project develops, the city may consider using goats in other parks where goat grazing is expected to be beneficial.

The goats arrived on Saturday, June 5, 2018, and were scheduled to stay for two weeks. The goats are grazing in a fenced area adjacent to the wood chip trail that leads off the southwest corner of the main preserve parking area.

Before the goats' arrival, the city had removed large buckthorn and weedy trees from the pilot project area. Following the removal of the buckthorn, native grasses were seeded in the area.

The goats were initially brought in during the fall of 2018 to eat the smaller buckthorn saplings, reducing the need for herbicides. During the three-year pilot project window, the grazing process will be repeated several times.

The goal is to gradually weaken buckthorn and other undesirable plants, allowing more desirable species to take over.

Prescribed grazing with goats is allowed within Burnsville, but there are specific limitations on parcel size and numerous other factors.

Residents can find more information on prescribed grazing here: https://burnsvillemn.gov/1956/Goat-Grazing. Contractors interested in applying for a prescribed grazing permit should contact the city's natural resources department at 952-895-4543 or caleb.ashling@burnsvillemn.gov.

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