GoatFundMe: Nevada City Wants To Prevent Wildfires With the Help Of Goats

NEVADA CITY (CBS13) – It's a first for Nevada City: a Goat Fund Me page. City leaders hope to rent goats to graze overgrown areas in the city. The goal is to cut down on dry brush to prevent fires.

"As soon as we said "GoFundMe, everyone responded GoatFundMe!" said Reinette Senum, Vice Mayor of Nevada City.

In Nevada City, the biggest need is getting rid of bushes, bark and blackberries.

"There's a lot of them!" Senum said. "They're thorny, of course, and they are covering up a lot of old dry tinder."

The goats are trained specifically to graze and Nevada City wants to put the four-legged mammals on its payroll.

"What we're trying to do is get the goats in there, cut back all the greenery so we can see what we're dealing with and then we bring the hand crews in and cut it back," Senum said.

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The process is called prescribed grazing, another method of fire prevention. The only problem is the cost.

"It would probably be a couple hundred thousand dollars, Senum said.

So she and her team decided to create a crowdfunding page where people can donate to the city's efforts to raise $30,000.

Over at Legacy Ranching in Grass Valley, the goats could soon make their way to Nevada City for the 450-acre job.

"We'll probably bring 30 to 60 goats on that, it's just a little job right in town," said Legacy Owner Rob Thompson.

He told CBS13 the bigger projects will take 200 to 300 goats.

"There's just been a growing market, ever since we bought them to take them offsite, and use them to help cities and counties and even private landowners," said Thompson.

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Homeowner Kurt Pickett concerned the goats could eat too much of the natural landscape.

"I just want to see them managed properly and I'm happy that they're coming here," Pickett said.

Senum just hoping they raise the money as soon as possible because this job can't wait until summer.

"The local ranchers have their goats available right now, so time is of the essence!" Senum said.

So far, the city has raised $6,500 towards its goal. Senum hopes to have the first round of goats at Pioneer Park by next weekend.

You can find the city's GoatFundMe page here.