City of Paso Robles utilizing goats, other methods to reduce fire risk in Salinas corridor
PASO ROBLES, Calif. – As the state continues to experience a year of record low rainfall and record high temperatures, the city of Paso Robles is continuing its fire clean-up and prevention efforts in the Salinas corridor by using goats to reduce hazardous fuel loading.
Over 850 goats were sent out to the Salinas corridor, treating over 95 acres in 77 days, according to city officials.
Along with the goats, areas that were heavily wooded required hand crews to treat standing dead trees and heavy pockets of dead and downed materials, city officials said, adding that hand crews were able to treat 35 additional acres.
Between the goats and the hand crews in the Salinas corridor, fire clean-up and prevention cost the city roughly $122,000, city officials said. The work was paid for with grant funds provided by the San Luis Obispo County Community Fire Safe Council.
The Police Department Community Action Team (CAT) has also continued to have a heavy presence in the riverbed with staff on the ground and aerial vehicles examining from above. Since January 2021, the CAT team has removed almost 300,000 pounds of trash from the riverbed and made hundreds of contacts with the homeless population living there for outreach and enforcement purposes, city officials said.
"Efforts by Paso Robles Fire and Police Departments to reduce the risks in the Salinas corridor are having a positive affect. Fires in the Salinas corridor have decreased by 46% (year to date)," city officials said.
"Total acres burned in the Salinas corridor have declined since mitigation, enforcement, and cleanup efforts began. In 2020 35 acres (were) burned, 2021 five acres, and (year to date) three acres."
