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Board backs letter urging state to restore wage parity for goat and sheep herders
Summary
After farmers and local herders described how a recent change would impose unsustainable pay obligations on goat herding operations used for wildfire fuel reduction, Lake County supervisors approved a letter asking state leaders to reinstate parity and make relief retroactive to July 1.
The board approved a letter asking state leaders to restore wage parity between goat and sheep herders, citing the role of grazing in wildfire fuel reduction and the local economics of herding.
Supervisor Owen and speakers from the Lake County Farm Bureau and local herders said recent state rule changes created a disparity that would require goat herding employers to pay far higher monthly rates (testimony cited a very large annual equivalent figure) that would force many small operations to close. Antonio Gonzales, a local herder, told the board the change "is a joke" and said he would likely sell his animals if the cost structure stands.
Supervisors directed staff to address the letter to the governor and legislative leaders while ensuring local legislators are cc'd; the board approved the amended letter 5–0 and requested staff finalize language emphasizing wildfire‑mitigation impacts and job losses.
