Hundreds of goats are hard at work, chewing up grass and dry brush in steep canyons and remote hillside ravines in Laguna Beach.
Three herds with at least 200 goats each are presently part of the city’s fire mitigation plan.
Officials say they are critical to beefed up plans for fire prevention in this seaside town that was the site of one of the state’s most devastating fires in 1993. The fire then lasted less than a day, but because of terrain and weather conditions, it decimated the community, torching 441 homes, scorching 14,000 acres and resulting in $528 million in damage.
Removing fuel sources from Laguna Beach’s surrounding hillsides is a priority.
With a $1 million California grant, Laguna Beach Fire Chief Mike Garcia signed a contract with the state to begin the process to get another herd of goats into an area over South Laguna. The goats will eat through brush there to provide better fire protection and safety for residents in that area, which also includes behind South Coast Water District and Mission Hospital Laguna Beach.
Before the herd can move into South Laguna, city officials must do a series of environmental studies to look at the terrain, which includes hiring biologists, paleontologists, and geologists to assess the landscape and possible erosion issues. If there are any endangered plants, they will be fenced off and worked by hand crews. The California Coastal Commission reviews all reports before permits are issued.
All that usually take a year, Garcia said.
CalFire designates Laguna Beach and its surrounding open space as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone – the hilly terrain and vegetation, creating an extreme fire risk. The designation has made it costly and challenging for homeowners to get fire insurance. Some residents have seen costs triple, and others have had policies canceled.
“The goats are a critical part of our wildfire mitigation program and are by far the most cost-effective measures of doing fuel management to increase safety for our residents,” Mayor Bob Whalen said.
In addition to starting the process for having the goats move into South Laguna, the city last week also got a green light from the Coastal Commission to have the goats work in Laguna Canyon. A $3.5 million state grant program administered under CalFire will pay for that.
The goats will be moved there in June or July, and will work around residences and commercial structures starting just south of Castle Rock Road along Laguna Canyon Road to El Toro Road. The area includes the Laguna College of Art and Design and Anneliese School.
“Our goal is to have more protection around the whole city,” Garcia said. “We have 16,000 acres of wildland. It’s beautiful, but it poses a threat. Doing fuel modification is a protective measure and helps us do our jobs.”
In recent years, the fire threat has been increasing. For that reason, Garcia said he started the goat program earlier this year.
“I think we’ll have another extreme fire season,” he said. “We’ve started moving aggressively so we can be ready before Red Flag season. Last year, we had so much growth that we worked into late November and December.”
Despite the disruption of the coronavirus, Garcia said the fire department has kept on schedule with its fire prevention work. Goats began working in February, and hand crews have also started in various areas of the city.
For locals such as Diana Ramos, who lives in the canyons overlooking the Montage Resort, the goats near her home are a welcome sight.
“I think everybody should do it,” she said. “It’s great, and it’s sustainable.”
Charlie Miller, 11, and his brother Brooks, 8, agreed. The two boys frequently ride their bikes to get a look at the goats grazing in canyons near their home.
“I like it because it helps that we’re not in danger,” Charlie said. “I think the only problem is when they poop, it fertilizes the grass and makes more plants.”
“It’s good for the earth and people,” said Brooks. “When they make baby goats, it’s more milk for us to drink.”
Goats cost the city about $1,075 an acre, or about $200,000 a year; using hand crews costs the city $32,000 an acre. Hand-thinning is used for geologically unstable areas.
In the last year, goats have cleared vegetation in wildland areas of North Laguna and chomped through the brush behind the Festival of Arts grounds and near Thurston Middle School and Top of the World Elementary School. They’ve also worked in some of the city’s steeper canyon areas in Arch Beach Heights and in Bluebird Canyon.
A family of goat herders from Peru tend to the goats with sheep-herding dogs. They live in a small trailer nearby and secure the animals each night inside an electric fence to keep them away from coyotes and other predators.
“I feel safer because they’re here,” said Ramos, who has become friends with Beneficio, the main goat herder. “I’m grateful when I see them.”
