The FSC completed a targeted grazing project to create a fuel break on parcels bordering Hwy 29 and Bothe Park. The program began on May 5th with the delivery of 500 sheep and goats.
Spring Mtn Fire Safe Council completed the first phase of a shaded fuel break on parcels bordering Hwy 29 and Bothe Park with several weeks of targeted grazing. 500 sheep and goats were moved through 90 acres of heavily overgrown forest. The “flerd” (flock-herd) hungrily devoured the thick underbrush, removing ladder fuels that could carry wildfire into the forest canopy. Once the animals had moved through the area, the forest floor was cleared of ground fuel to an impressive degree. Funds for this project came from a fundraiser for Napa Firewise hosted by Bill Dodd, which allowed each Fire Safe Council to complete a wildfire fuel reduction project. These funds were supplemented, and the project area expanded by generous donations from local neighbors. The next phase for this shaded fuel break will require hand crews to remove dead and dying trees, thin the forest a little bit and remove some of the highly flammable bay laurel resprouts, which goats and sheep can’t eat. Removing the tangled jungle of undergrowth made the next phase more manageable.