SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The City of Santa Barbara is turning to a natural solution to reduce wildfire, bringing in a herd of sheep to clear dry, overgrown vegetation across several local parks.
The effort, led by the City’s Parks and Recreation and Fire Departments, targets about 16 acres in areas including Parma Park, Laurel Canyon Park, Franceschi Park, and Hale Park.
“A natural solution is taking over parts of Santa Barbara, one bite at a time,” said Wildland Specialist Mark vonTillow. “You can look around and see how tall the mustard is. That’s some of the stuff we need to clean up in the next couple of months ahead of high fire season.”
City officials say the grazing helps reduce fuel loads ahead of peak wildfire months.
“The sheep are helping us with vegetation management ahead of the high fire hazard season,” said Monique O’Conner. “This is what we call the defensible space season of work.”
Before the sheep move in, crews prepare each site to protect native plants and wildlife. Officials also remind the public to keep their distance.
“There is an electric fence around the grazing area to keep the sheep in and predators out,” O’Conner said. “You may also see guard dogs that help protect them from coyotes and other threats.”
The grazing is carefully planned, focusing on areas with non-native grasses that pose a higher fire risk.
“They are a great tool, but not the only tool and not the right tool for every location,” O’Conner added. “We focus on areas with primarily non-native grassland where they’re most effective.”
Fire officials emphasize that the sheep are just one part of a broader wildfire prevention strategy, which also includes manual clearing by crews on the ground.
“There are firefighters out there doing this work with tools and chainsaws,” vonTillow said. “But the beauty of this is you get 24/7 work out of them.”
With vegetation already growing quickly, officials say this effort is critical in the months leading up to peak fire season.
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