Goats and sheep have proved their worth in devouring grasses and other potentially flammable vegetation, all without traditional mowing’s noise, pollution and, on hot days, risk of igniting fires. In 2021, Cal Fire awarded more than $10 million in grants for wildfire mitigation projects involving grazing. North Bay residents likely have seen animals grazing on public lands. Sonoma County Regional Parks use sheep and goats seasonally for vegetation management at Helen Putnam, Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail, Foothill, Cloverdale, Gualala and Maxwell parks. Cows deploy at Taylor Mountain, Crane Creek, North Sonoma Mountain and Tolay Lake parks. The parks agency notes that properly conducted and monitored grazing benefits the ecosystem by reducing invasive plant species, fertilizing the soil and making grassland more permeable for recharging groundwater, as well as reducing the risk of wildfire.