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San Clemente resident outlines goat‑grazing pilot and commercial bid to reduce hill fuel loads
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Summary
Michael Kaye presented a city‑supported pilot using goats, sheep and a guard donkey to reduce fire fuels in steep canyons; he said the animals have been kept offsite overnight, the pilot is three months, and he has filed a $585,000 commercial bid to widen the practice to homeowners associations.
Michael Kaye, a San Clemente resident and volunteer with experience in post‑fire recovery, told the Public Safety Committee that a pilot project to use livestock — primarily goats — has been operating near Hermosa Sports Park to reduce flammable ground cover and control invasive species.
“I'm trying to evolve that into a commercially viable business,” Kaye said, describing a recent $585,000 commercial bid he submitted to an HOA and the operational details of the pilot.
Kaye described his approach as targeted and adaptive: goats are rotated across roughly one‑acre pastures, he said, and a group of about 20 goats will clear an acre in about three days. The animals are enclosed overnight in secure shelters offsite rather than left in the field; Kaye said the program uses electric fencing to exclude livestock from sensitive habitat, and a guard donkey named Steve protects the herd from coyotes. Kaye said the animals were vetted and treated for ticks and parasites before introduction to the property.
City context and next steps: Kaye said the city had granted a grazing permit for the pilot and that the mayor and council have shown support. He said CAL FIRE has been engaged and that he and partners are pursuing grant funding; he also noted that any permanent or larger‑scale program will involve environmental reviews and coordination with resource agencies. Kaye described the pilot as three months long and said he plans to refine best practices, including limits on public access and signage after some problems with visitors and teenagers approaching the animals.
Why it matters: city staff and committee members flagged liability, insurance, and potential impacts on native species as items requiring further analysis. Kaye acknowledged past local problems with large goat herds and said his program emphasizes nightly removal of animals, volunteer screening, veterinary checks and focused grazing rather than continuous, long‑term herd residency.
Numbers and logistics Kaye provided in the meeting include: - One‑acre targeted grazing: roughly three days with 20 goats, according to Kaye. - Pilot duration: roughly three months (ongoing at the time of presentation). - Commercial proposal: Kaye said he had submitted a $585,000 bid to a local HOA (named in discussion as Marblehood HOA).
Kaye encouraged committee members and residents to visit the pen near Hermosa Sports Park but said he will reduce informal public access after reports of trespass and social media attention. He asked the city to continue evaluating grazing as one of several possible fuel‑reduction tools.
No formal action was taken at the meeting; the presentation was informational and committee members asked staff to continue coordination on permits, environmental review and potential grants.
