Story thread · 3 reports / 3 sources

Almost 500 goats arrive at MCAS Miramar as eco-friendly wildfire tool

nbcsandiego.com · 8h · first reportShare

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is using hundreds of goats to clear dry brush and reduce wildfire risk, launching what base officials say is the first program of its kind at a U.S. military installation. A total of 471 goats were brought to MCAS Miramar in San Diego as part of a pilot program that will test whether grazing can provide an environmentally friendlier way to effectively create fire breaks in areas that can be difficult and dangerous for crews to access. “This is the first military installation that has tried this, so it’s really exciting,” MCAS Miramar Fire Department Fire Chief Joshua Allen said. He explained this idea has been in the works for the better part of 10 years, and he always supported the thought of getting goats on-base. “These animals are specifically on the job to do what they do best, which is eat,” Cole Bush, the owner of Shepherdess Land and Livestock, said. She is running the operation, alongside her mom, providing the animals, herding dogs, a shepherd