The goal of the Fair Oaks grazing project was to show the effect of the herd and how they can be used as part of the state’s fire-management program

FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - A herd of 1,200 goats and sheep grazed the land around Bannister Park in Fair Oaks on July 17 and 18. The project was a fire-prevention demonstration, implemented in partnership between Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD), Sacramento County, and private property owners in the area.

 Lee Hazeltine, owner of Integrazers, said the herd can graze approximately 2.5 acres per day, reducing quick-burning weeds and brush to protect against catastrophic fire events. Hazeltine has 30 years of experience in vegetation management, fire science, forestry and timber, biology and ecology, and targeted grazing. Managing more than 7,000 total animals, Hazeltine and the crew of Integrazers shepherds take herds to various locations in California to create defensible space for homes, towns, forests, and conservation lands. The group of animals grazing in Fair Oaks just recently returned from working as part of the fire-recovery effort in Paradise, CA—which was devastated by the Camp Fire in 2018.

 The goal of the Fair Oaks grazing project was to show the effect of the herd and how they can be used as part of the state’s fire-management program. There are four main treatments used in fire prevention: hand clearing, mechanical mowing and pruning, herbicides, and control burns. “What we now are trying to bring forward is the use of the critters within these fuel treatments,” said Hazeltine.

 “When you look at the bigger, broader picture of things, burning in California, of any kind, adds to the air quality load.” With extreme fire seasons, California already frequently suffers from poor air quality. While Hazeltine said control burns certainly have a place in fire management, he sees grazing as a beneficial alternative that won’t put more pollutants in the air.

 “The state now has in place an ability to cost share fuel treatments with grazing. They didn’t always have that tool. When Governor Newsome came into office, he pushed on the Board of Forestry really hard to get this newer document”—the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP)—which streamlines the regulatory process in order to increase the level of fuel-treatment and forest restoration projects, with the goal of treating 500,000 acres each year.

 With wildfire prevention and mitigation a top priority for the state, Hazeltine wants to see an increase in the use of grazing herds. Grazing is a way to reduce weeds and brush, prevent fire danger, and optimize the existing ecosystems. Hazeltine said that grazed lands have “more vibrant soil life” and rainwater can soak more easily into grazed land, creating a more functional ecosystem. “There’s a way to do things with a greater benefit,” said Hazeltine.

 Ralph Carhart of the FORPD Board of Directors also espoused the benefits of grazing: In addition to keeping additional carbon out of the air, Carhart said, “the goats are very efficient” and it is a “down to earth” process after the logistics of transport and fencing have been completed. “I think it’s a major factor in the future of vegetation control,” said Carhart.   

To learn more about the advantages of grazing, visit https://integrazers.com/.