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“According to ecologist-rancher Bill Simpson, animal impact, especially from wild horses, will better control wildfires and preserve fisheries than prescribed burns and dam removals. Here is an original point of view on a topic that needs fresh thinking.

Quoting Spokane’s Parks Director, ” (Goat grazing) is an economically and ecologically friendly way to manage brush density.”

Starting Friday, about 200 goats will be on the job to help reduce fire risk in natural areas by reducing brush and tree sapling density in Spokane.

The National Parks Service is on a mission to eradicate wild goats from Teton and Yellowstone Parks, based on “competition”. Utah disagrees with their premise.

Quoting Utah’s goat management plan, “Even where both (bighorn and goats) are present, resource partitioning (competition) appears to minimize conflicts (Laundre 1994). Specifically, there is enough disparity in site selection, seasonal use, and forage preference such that range overlap does not result in as much direct competition as expected when each species’ habitat requirements are considered separately.”

Videos

Idaho's big bighorn rams in the Big Lost and Hells Canyon.

Cattle are grazed in any spot for 6-hours, followed by 18-months recovery.

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Curated and written collection of thoughts on biodiversity, wildlife and resource management.