Pyrograzing Turns Ordinary Livestock Into Fire Prevention Heroes, so Why Isn't It Used on Public Lands More Often?

What Is Pyrograzing and Why Isn’t It Used on Public Lands More Often?

In some cases, grazing can be more practical or cost-effective than other fire risk reduction methods.

Pyrograzing turns ordinary livestock into fire prevention heroes, so why isn't it used on public lands more often?

In grasslands across the American West, four-legged fire prevention crews are busy at work, helping keep wildfire risk under control. These cattle, goats and sheep stomp down tall grasses as they munch their way through plants that could otherwise burn, lowering the risk of catastrophic fires in the process.

Pyrograzing turns ordinary livestock into fire prevention heroes, so why isn’t it used on public lands more often?

San Manuel, Calif., Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Tovar holds a young goat whose herd just spent a day eating brush and grass to reduce wildfire risk. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty ImagesIn grasslands across the American West, four-legged fire prevention crews are busy at work, helping keep wildfire risk under control. These cattle, goats and sheep stomp down tall grasses as they munch their way through plants that could otherwise burn, lowering the risk of…

Contributor: Let livestock clear hard-to-reach shrubs and grasses before the next wildfire

Using targeted grazing at the scale needed to address widespread wildfire risk across federal lands would be difficult, but it should be part of the solution.

Pyrograzing turns ordinary livestock into fire prevention heroes, so why isn’t it used on public lands more often?

by Briana Swette, Boise State University and Kelly Hopping, Boise State University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] In grasslands across the American West, four-legged fire... The post Pyrograzing turns ordinary livestock into fire prevention heroes, so why isn’t it used on public lands more often? appeared first on Cobb Courier.