Planning commission approves temporary pilot allowing goats at Oz Natural Area to control invasive plants

The City of Waupaca Planning Commission on July 2 approved a temporary pilot allowing intermittent goat grazing at the Oz Natural Area (a 34‑acre private environmental education property) to reduce invasive vegetation and limit herbicide use. The approval is limited to 2025 and includes conditions requiring a site plan, containment measures and a year‑end review before any future authorization.

Russ Buckowitz, co‑owner of the Oz Natural Area Center for Biodiversity Education, presented the proposal and framed it as an environmental‑education and public‑health measure. Buckowitz said invasive plants such as Japanese barberry and buckthorn have been linked by research to higher blacklegged tick populations and a higher prevalence of Lyme‑infected ticks. He argued that biologic control using goats can reduce reliance on herbicides and their potential risks to groundwater and human health in the Central Sands region. "I am here tonight with an urgent appeal to you on behalf of the public…