GOAT GRAZING
Since 2017, SHFPD has led a community-wide grazing program that uses goats (and, in the early years, sheep) to reduce wildfire fuel on the hillsides surrounding Sleepy Hollow. By clearing heavy brush and thatch before fire season, the program creates fire breaks and defensible space in areas that would otherwise be difficult and costly to clear by hand.
How it Started
The program grew out of a 2016 wildfire hazard assessment that identified the hillsides around Sleepy Hollow as a high-risk area for fire to spread between communities. In 2018, roughly 800 goats and sheep arrived to begin grazing across nearly 200 acres spanning Rocking H Ranch, the Terra Linda–Sleepy Hollow Divide Open Space, San Domenico School, and Triple C Ranch. It was one of the largest goat grazing projects in Marin, and it protected not just Sleepy Hollow, but neighboring communities including San Anselmo, Fairfax, and San Rafael.
What the Goats Do
Goats are especially good at clearing dense brush like broom and coyote brush, and de-thatching decades of built-up dry grass, leaving healthier native oaks and grassland behind. Grazing crews are moved carefully and on a schedule that avoids spreading invasive weed seeds, and their work is targeted to the places that matter most: fire roads, ridgelines, and the edges of open space near homes.
A Community Partnership
This program only works because so many neighbors and organizations pitch in. Current partners include Marin County Open Space, San Domenico School, Triple C Ranch, Rocking H Ranch, the Ross Valley School District, and the towns of Fairfax and San Anselmo, along with private homeowners who participate on their own property. The District provides funding support, with extra investment in areas considered strategically important for fire protection.
"This is one of the largest goat grazing projects in Marin, and it's pretty unique in how it brings together such a diverse group of public and private landowners around a shared goal."
— Rich Shortall, SHFPD Board President
Funding
The program is largely funded by participating property owners, with the District providing supplemental funding in high-priority areas. This shared-cost model has allowed the program to keep expanding since it began.
Looking Ahead
The District views goat grazing as a long-term commitment, not a one-time project. Each year, new areas are evaluated for potential grazing to keep expanding the network of fire breaks and defensible space around Sleepy Hollow.