Environmental News Network - To Prevent Fires, One California Town Says 'Goat Fund Me'

Details: By Wired; 10.Jan

Nestled in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains is the quaint Gold Rush town of Nevada City.

Nestled in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains is the quaint Gold Rush town of Nevada City. Surrounded by unkempt brush, the old, highly flammable city is in danger: with California’s wildfires raging with unprecedented ferocity in recent years, one spark could doom Nevada City to the same fate that neighboring Paradise met in November.

But not if the goats get there first. Realizing its predicament, Nevada City has launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay goats (or, more accurately, their herders) to clear brush at the edges of town. It’s called, yes, Goat Fund Me. And it’s part of an ungulate awakening: All across the state, business is booming for herders as panicked homeowners and towns reckon with the wildfire menace.

There is no single explanation for why California’s wildfire problem has gotten so bad. Climate change is one—less rain in the fall means dryer brush, which in turn coincides with seasonal winds that fan massive blazes. More cities encroaching on wildlands is another.

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To Prevent Fires, One California Town Says 'Goat Fund Me'