Half Moon Bay’s goat-grazing program will continue for another five years.
Half Moon Bay’s goat-grazing program, designed to abate fire fuel loads and manage invasive weeds, will be continuing for the next five years with monitoring to ensure the area is fire safe and not over-eroded.
The grazing program takes place annually on either side of Highway 1 near Kehoe Avenue. Both goats and sheep are released into approved areas — owned by the city and the Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside, respectively — and blocked from environmentally sensitive land.
At a meeting May 13, the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission approved modifications to the program’s criteria. Rather than requiring that grasses be left at 6 inches and that goats not be allowed to graze within 50 feet of riparian areas on the SAM property, management will be more free-form and based on year-to-year environmental factors.
Biologists monitoring the project will work to ensure between 500 to 1,500 pounds per acre of residual dry matter like leaves and plants are maintained to ensure the landscape has good coverage and doesn’t erode, project planner Doug Garrison said.
“The biologist retains control over grazing parameters like amount of vegetation and restricted areas,” he said.
The updated management style is meant to reflect the fact that the grazing techniques of animals like goats and sheep cannot be measured by the same standards as mechanized vegetation removal tools.
“This program is intended to be dynamic and not static,” Half Moon Bay Public Works Director Moz Bozorginia said. “That’s why we’re doing all the monitoring and oversight, because if we see things that are happening out of line with what we’re trying to do, we have the opportunity to monitor that.”
Some expressed concern that the goats might be causing damage to the natural landscape.
“Things were OK except for one year it was very clear somebody lost control and the goats got in and did a real number on wetlands,” said former Mayor and Planning Commissioner Mike Ferrara. “It seems to me if we lose control of the goats again, there ought to be some sort of reset.”
In response to concerns around overgrazing and erosion, planning commissioners added additional stipulations for close oversight on such concerns. In addition, they requested the fire marshal be consulted each year to make sure the area is up to standards.
“I take to heart the comments about the risks in such a program,” Commissioner Steve Ruddock said.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 105
(650) 344-5200 ext. 105
Daily Journal staff
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