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Nevada County program tests goats as a pilot fuel-reduction tool on Sierra lands
Summary
Nevada County Resource Conservation District and a land‑stewardship contractor described a pilot project using goats to reduce vegetation fuel loads and establish long‑term maintenance approaches, with success to be measured by post‑treatment fuel loads and vegetation regrowth.
Nathan Alcorn, program director for the Nevada County Resource Conservation District, described a pilot project using livestock to reduce vegetation fuels on Sierra Nevada lands. "The goals of this project are, it's a pilot project first and foremost. So the metrics of success are kind of tentative at this time," Alcorn said. "However, we will be, weighing the, measurable fuel loads, from 1 square foot, post treatment and also seeing what kind of vegetation species come back."
Tim Van Wagner of First Rain Land Stewardship Services said the project emphasizes partnerships. "For us, part of this project is the partnership forming too. Working with the Land Trust, working with the o e OES and the RCD," Van Wagner said, adding that livestock, especially goats, are seen as "part of the toolbox for managing fuels" and a useful initial treatment before heavier mechanical or hand crews.
Speakers framed the work as a two-step approach: perform concentrated fuel reduction where needed and then use ongoing, repeated treatments to maintain lower fuel loads. They described the project as a pilot with tentative metrics and identified partners but did not specify a timeline, budget, or exact parcels in the transcript. No formal votes or actions were recorded in the provided excerpts.
