The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to explore a pilot program using goats for brush clearance in hillside neighborhoods and high fire hazard zones to reduce wildfire risk.
The council voted 11-0 to direct the Los Angeles Fire Department to report back within 60 days on the feasibility and costs of the proposal. Council members Bob Blumenfield, Monica Rodriguez, Katy Yaroslavsky and Marqueece Harris-Dawson were absent during the vote.
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Blumenfield and Councilman John Lee introduced a motion July 1, noting that other cities including Laguna Niguel, Pasadena and Riverside already use goats for brush control. Officials said the practice is more sustainable, improves soil health and helps eliminate invasive plant species.
City regulations require property owners in very high fire hazard severity zones to maintain their property year-round in accordance with the Fire Code.
Property owners who fail to meet the standard in the first inspection are charged a $31 inspection fee and issued a notice of non-compliance. If they pass the inspection, the fee is waived and no further inspections are conducted.
However, if found to be non-compliant, the property undergoes a second inspection, and if they fail again, the city imposes a $764 fee. The fee can be waived once more if the owner passes the inspection. If the property fails both inspections, the city sends a contractor to conduct brush clearance, charging the owners an additional $1,562 administrative fee and the labor cost.
The city currently contracts with 11 service providers for brush, weed, and refuse abatement services. A total of $3.5 million is allocated for this work each year. But with the risk of brush fires and costs associated with mitigating such risk increasing, the city is looking at alternative ways to combat fires.
Earlier this year, about 900 goats were used to clear brush in areas of Palos Verdes Estates. The city contracted with Fire Grazers, Inc., for the services. The company and herd of goats have previously completed similar work in the area.
Los Angeles County reimbursed the city for the cost of the $67,000 contract.
In August, the city of La Cañada Flintridge also introduced goats to the area to help prevent wildfires in their mountainside community. With funding from Cal Fire's Wildfire Prevention Grant Program, the city worked with the Los Angeles County Fire Department on the project.
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