Goats reduce wildfire risk at Star Valley Park in pilot program

Supervisor Jim Desmond and VC Fire Chief Joe Napier chat about the value of using goats to help prevent wildfires.

About 525 goats are grazing at Star Valley Park in Valley Center as part of County Fire’s first targeted grazing project. The goats will remove plants that can fuel wildfires, adding an eco-friendly tool to the County’s wildfire prevention efforts.

On Thursday, 5th District Supervisor Jim Desmond visited to Star Valley Park to kick off the new pilot program.

“Goats are doing fuel management for us and creating fire breaks. This is just one of our pre-fire strategies to make our communities more resilient,” County Fire Director Jeff Collins said. “It’s all about reducing risks and making the region safer.”

Supervisor Jim Desmond Thursday at Star Valley Park.

Over the next two weeks, the herd is expected to graze about 38 acres of grass and tree shoots. Star Valley Park, a former working ranch, is a County park at 29902 Valley Center Road.

After the January 2025 wildfires, the Board of Supervisors directed county staff to study grazing as a way to improve vegetation management and reduce wildfire risk.

Star Valley Park is the first project in County Fire’s new targeted grazing program. County Fire’s general fund budget pays for the pilot project.

The dogs who guard the goats are very protective of them, Desmond observed.

The County also applied for $300,000 from Cal Fire’s Wildfire Prevention Grant Program. It submitted three grazing proposals to FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Grant decisions are pending. If the County receives the funds, it could expand the grazing program.

County Fire and County Parks reviewed several locations before selecting Star Valley Park. County Parks manages more than 60,000 acres of parks and open space across the county. Star Valley Park has plants that goats can graze to help reduce wildfire fuel.

Targeted grazing adds another option to traditional vegetation management methods, including hand crews, controlled burns and machines. Grazing cannot remove all wildfire risk. However, it can reduce plants that feed fires and support wider wildfire prevention efforts.

The grazing program also supports small local businesses.

To launch the program, the county changed its contracting process. The first process made it hard for small, local grazing companies to take part. County Fire worked with Purchasing & Contracting and Economic Development & Government Affairs to create a more flexible system. Grazing companies can now qualify in advance and compete for each project.

The County held workshops in Alpine and Valley Center. It also helped small businesses apply. Environmental Land Management, the contractor for the Star Valley Park project, attended the workshops and qualified for the program.

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