By Jenna Jarrah
The San Fernando Valley Audubon Society has deployed over 500 goats in the Sepulveda Basin, in partnership with Mayor Karen Bass’ office, to address wild,mostly invasive vegetation called “firebrush” that accelerates fires in the area.
The Sepulveda Basin has seen numerous brush fires in recent years, with the most being the Burbank fire in August 2024, which blackened 75 acres of almost entirely invasive, non-native plants.
“Goat grazing is an ecologically sound way to address fires in the region,” says Michael Choi, the owner of Fire Grazers Inc., whose family business has beenaddressing fire issues in Los Angeles for over seventeen years.
The project, initiated by the Audubon Society, involves 35 acres of land, and is located next to the Apollo Model airplane field.
“We picked this area to see if we can help convert it back to native plants that are more attractive for birds, insects, and other wildlife,” said Pat Bates, the SanFernando Valley Audubon Society Conservation Committee co-chair, and is advisory to the City of Los Angeles on wildlife area issues in the basin.
Goats graze as they help mitigate fire risk in an area adjacent to the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve in Van Nuys, CA, on February 27, 2026. The pilot goatscaping project will cover about 35 acres of a field that has repeatedly burned in the past. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Goats graze as they help mitigate fire risk in an area adjacent to the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve in Van Nuys, CA, on February 27, 2026. The pilot goatscaping project will cover about 35 acres of a field that has repeatedly burned in the past. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Goats graze as they help mitigate fire risk in an area adjacent to the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve in Van Nuys, CA, on February 27, 2026. The pilot goatscaping project will cover about 35 acres of a field that has repeatedly burned in the past. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Goats graze as they help mitigate fire risk in an area adjacent to the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve in Van Nuys, CA, on February 27, 2026. The pilot goatscaping project will cover about 35 acres of a field that has repeatedly burned in the past. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Goats graze as they help mitigate fire risk in an area adjacent to the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve in Van Nuys, CA, on February 27, 2026. The pilot goatscaping project will cover about 35 acres of a field that has repeatedly burned in the past. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 5Goats graze as they help mitigate fire risk in an area adjacent to the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve in Van Nuys, CA, on February 27, 2026. The pilot goatscaping project will cover about 35 acres of a field that has repeatedly burned in the past. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) ExpandIn December 2024, Los Angeles City Council member Imelda Padilla proposed the goat grazing pilot to address the wildfire risk of invasive plants following the 2019 announcement by the World Health Organization that glyphosate–a chemical widely used for weed control–was likely a carcinogen to humans.
Additionally, some argue that goat grazing is the most cost-effective way to deal with vegetation that is a fire hazard, and a well-sized herd can complete a job in a single day that would take two or three times as long with a landscaping crew.
“In many places, it’s dangerous to use hand crews, and it’s becoming more expensive when you factor in workers’ compensation, insurance, and the general risk of bringing in people in areas of steep hillsides or canyons. Goats are natural mountaineers, so they feel at ease on steep terrain,” said Choi.
The Sepulveda Basin covers 2,000 acres of land, and is the largest outdoor space in the San Fernando Valley and second largest in the City of Los Angeles. It will be used as a training ground for the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games.
Bates added, “The Sepulveda Basin is precious parkland in the San Fernando Valley, which is, compared to other areas of the city, park poor. The basin functions as an extremely valuable open space for residents’ recreation, contains the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Lake and Wildlife Area, and is used extensively for education activities, including the Sepulveda Basin Environmental Education Program, which brings out several thousand schoolchildren from LAUSD schools, chiefly Title I schools.”
The project is the one of the first instances that the City of Los Angeles is using goat grazing on its public lands for fire suppression.
“The wildlife reserve’s newest residents are working hard to enhance sustainability and manage vegetation to reduce fire risks,” said Bass in a post on X.
This project is a part of the broader effort by the mayor to strengthen neighborhoods and communities across Los Angeles ahead of global events that thecity will host, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Superbowl, and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Los Angeles joins other California cities that have brought in goats to clear through weeds that pose a fire risk, including San Diego, Oakland, and West Sacramento.
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