Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California launched Operation Goat Rope, a pilot program using grazing goats to reduce dry brush and invasive grasses on the base. According to the installation, it is the first such program on a U.S. military installation.
The program deploys 471 goats managed by a local prescribed grazing company. Base officials say the targeted grazing helps create strategic fuel breaks by selectively thinning overgrown vegetation that can fuel wildfires during Southern California's dry seasons.
Joshua Allen, fire chief at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, said: "When wildfire sparks in Southern California, defensible space is our greatest asset. The strategic fuel breaks created by this targeted grazing program slow a fire's advance and lowers the energy released. This gives our firefighting crews the critical time and tactical advantage they need to suppress a blaze safely and effectively before it escalates."