Goats play role in wildfire mitigation

By Mike Wood

Staff writer

Friday, June 27 (4:00 p.m.): It’s hard to think of a bigger sensation in Rossmoor this June than those goats.

Their presence amid surrounding grassy hillsides has piqued the interest of residents, who have flocked to see them at work. It’s important work, chomping away at grass and brush as part of the Shaded Fuel Break project, conducted by the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, and supported by the city of Walnut Creek and Rossmoor Walnut Creek.

The goats are just one part of the ongoing fuel break project aimed at wildfire prevention. Creating this fuel break around Rossmoor’s perimeter is funded through a $1.3 million grant secured by ConFire in 2022.

Around 100 goats have been involved in this effort, said John Tawaststjerna, RWC landscape manager. The goats, provided by contractor Goats R Us out of Orinda, finish up their two-week stint in Rossmoor this week.

The goats’ work comes from part of the grant but just for this year, Tawaststjerna said. Bringing the goats back in future years would require additional funding to the RWC landscaping budget, he said.

Goats have grazed in three designated areas of open space: hills just west of Skycrest Drive, a stretch south of Ptarmigan Drive near entry 11, and northeast of the from Skycrest Drive. She’s fascinated by goats’ physical distinctions – that some are long-haired, others have horns while some don’t, and many have big, floppy ears.

“Goats are wonderful creatures,” Milner-Brage said. “They have this serene energy to them.”

Rosalind Gottfried was curious how her dog would react when the goat herd first arrived above Skycrest. “My dog didn’t go into attack mode,” Gottfried said thankfully, and instead her dog just calmly watched the goats chew away.

This was a sneak preview for Gottfried, who will be volunteering at a goat farm in the state of Washington.

“It’s a lot of fun to have the goats here,” she said.

A lot of positivity has been generated by the goats’ presence and efforts, Tawaststjerna said.

“The contractor, Goats R Us, has been really responsive and helpful,” he said.

Goats from Goats R Us also were involved in the Public Works effort near the main gate, he said, but the timing of both projects was just a nice coincidence.

“From a professional standpoint, the goats do a really nice job eating down the weeds in a way that is hard to achieve with machinery,” Tawaststjerna said.

Milner-Brage, who posts her work online, noted that someone commented in appreciation of seeing “something positive.”

“We all need that, and the goats definitely have brought that to Rossmoor,” Milner-Brage said.