From the Email Inbox: Goats..

The Show of Goats in GT was amusing. The demonstration field had been cleared by City Maintenance Employees, and the only thing that grew back were a few tumble weeds, and jimpson weed.

After the goats are gone so are most of the tumble weeds, and there is no Jimpson weed to be seen. I did not observe the process, I hope the goats didn't get the Jimpson Weed... It would have killed them.

I also want to advise the public that the clearing to the Dirt as shown in the News Paper is not how goats eat as a general rule. Goats leave 4 to 8 inches of growth, and if there are enough goats this will not be standing but would have been trampled down. The goats eating the tender ends of the plants... Sheep will eat to the ground, on the first graze if allowed to.

Goats set out upon Blue Mt. may not eat a lot of the dry brush. They will knock it down and in doing so they will slow a fire as fire needs fuel and air to burn. Sure they will eat some of the weeds and dried matter, but most of it will just be brought down and compressed, unless the goats are kept on one spot for several days.

However, any grazing animal can be controlled by the length of time and number of animals on an area. The picture showed a denuding of the property, and this just does not have to be the case. Proper management will leave some vegetable matter to hold run off and for birds and other animals to forage.

$20,000.00 to Goat Trim the Mountain. How about the 4H's having 20,000 for a goat and sheep project in GT/Highgrove. If the City can't figure out how to get the Youth involved in this way then spend the $ 20,0000.00 and don't complain about the expense. Remember Mr. Schwab's last raise was more than this amount. Perhaps he'd take a pay cut so that the citizens of Grand Terrace, Reche Canyon and Highgrove will be protected by our weed abatement on Blue Mt.

Gramps, you suggested Goats a long long long time ago. Perhaps the City does listen, they may not be deaf, but are burdened with slow hearing.

If 1 in 4 homes had a pygmy goat there would be less green trash going to pick up weekly...

For the Goat Keeper to have to come to Show How it would work, is an example of the City Council Not wanting to read readily available materials from the Federal and State Government on the use of Fire Fighting Goats, and the information from Goat Service Providers. The Show was a Press Op, for Steve Berry, the information "Gathered" was all available prior to the "Show". I am not amused by the manipulation of information or the Press. I do support the use of Goats.