Fire prevention efforts on the Shasta College campus have employed a low-tech solution that Redding Fire Department has been using for several years. The college is contracting with Western Grazers out of Red Bluff, which have introduced a herd of 600 goats to munch their way through dry weeds and brush in 3 different areas over the next couple of weeks. The 61 overgrown acres of vegetation used to be managed with the use of heavy equipment, but using the goats will prevent the burning of about 3,000 gallons of diesel, which would have produced some 31 tons of CO2. Students and others on campus are advised to watch the goats and their canine companions from a comfortable distance if they wish, but not to bother them.
-Steve Gibson