Three hundred goats are getting ready to munch on over 14 acres of open space in June for fire mitigation.
This is the second year goat mitigation will happen in the open space, which is south of Castle Pines and Pineridge Lane.
Some of the goals of fire mitigation include reducing the vertical and horizontal continuity of vegetation to prevent fire from spreading as quickly and from getting into trees where it is harder to put out.
The goats will eat through oak groves in the PineRidge open space. Because the goats mostly eat leaves, oak trees will spend their energy sprouting new leaves rather than expanding roots or growing taller and denser. An oak tree that could not sprout new leaves would die.
Goats will also eat grasses and noxious weeds. This is beneficial because a given fuel can produce a flame length 1.5 times the fuel's height.
The project is funded by the PineRidge HOA residents, the City of Castle Pines and a $1,000 grand South Metro Fire Rescue received from the national Ready, Set, Go! Campaign.
The exact date of the goat's arrival has not been set yet.
There is a Ready, Set, Goat! Day on June 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the open space for people to learn about fire mitigation and preparedness.
