It's been done before.....

(CBS) DUARTE, Calif. The goats are coming!Starting Monday, goats will be seen in the hills above Duarte, but they will be hard at work. The notorious eaters will be stationed in the area’s hills to munch away on dry brush and vegetation to help clear the slopes of tinder-dry material that could potentially fuel brush fires.A contract -- costing up to $9,900 -- with Ranchito Tivo Boer Goats was approved by the Duarte City Council to help clear brush in four areas around the Duarte foothills. The areas in need of brush clearance were identified by the city's Field Services Department with the assistance of the Los Angeles County Fire Department."Some of these areas have not been cleared or burned in 25 years," said City Manager Darrell George. "Our goal is to stop the spread and reduce the overall amount of brush in and around homes adjacent to the open space areas of our community."Duarte had previously relied on mechanical methods to clear brush.George said complete removal of the vegetation is not the goal of the project, because a lack of vegetation could lead to soil erosion.Using goats to clear brush is a non-polluting method of fire maintenance, and is considered to achieve better results than previously used mechanical means, officials said. Lightly electrified fencing keeps the goats within designated boundaries. The goats are typically quiet, odor-free and resistant to poison oak. Ranchito Tivo Boer Goats has worked with the cities of Monrovia, Chino Hills, San Diego and the Chino Basin Water Conservation District.Brush clearance in the hills above Duarte will continue throughout the fall.