AI6YR BenCity of Malibu: TEAM OF 500 GOATS AND SHEEP BROUGHT INTO BIG ROCK AREA AS PART OF INTER-AGENCY BRUSH CLEARANCE EFFORT FOR SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS WILDFIRE SAFETY
On May 21, a team of 400 goats and 100 sheep were deployed in the Big Rock neighborhood of Malibu by the Mountains Resource and Conservation District (MRCA) to conduct brush clearance for wildfire safety.
After working areas of Calabasas, the hungry, enthusiastic goats are grazing in the MRCA park space between Big Rock Drive and Tuna Canyon and will consume 70 acres of invasive plants to clear brush and create defensible space to protect homes and communities. Goats are a cute, eco-friendly method for effective vegetation management and fire mitigation. They improve soil health and drainage, help control invasive plant species, can easily get through steep, densely vegetated terrain, and leave thousands of little fertilizing pellets behind.
The goat grazing activity part of a partnership of the MRCA, the LA County Fire Department and the Ventura County Fire Department started in fall 2025 to conduct critical fuels reduction projects in the Santa Monica Mountains to protect Malibu and neighboring communities from wildfires.
The City applauds this cross-agency partnership as a crucial measure to reduce wildfire danger in some of our most fire-prone areas!
In addition to goat grazing, the activities include roadside brush clearance with “The Masticator,” a tractor-like vehicle that acts like a tree shredder; a controlled “Pile Burn,” which burns piles of brush that have previously been cleared; fire road repair; and hand-tool brush removal.
The project is funded by $3.2 million in early action Proposition 4 fire prevention funds granted to the fire departments by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC).
This year, the program resumed activity on January 2, 2026, and since then, has cleared vegetation in areas of the Santa Monica Mountains, including Calabasas, Malibu, Agoura Hills, and other areas.
For details, see the weekly progress report for May 18 – 22.
Becca
Kevin Russell
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