Pyrograzing turns ordinary livestock into fire prevention heroes, so why isn’t it used on public lands more often?
Targeted grazing is gaining interest as fire risk rises, particularly in hard-to-manage areas of the Western US. But it isn’t always as simple as it seems.
Across the western United States, a growing number of four-legged heroes are silently working to prevent devastating wildfires. These livestock include cattle, goats, and sheep, who are purposefully employed for wildfire control, a practice known as targeted grazing. This method involves strategically removing trees, shrubs, and grasses to alter the trajectory of future wildfires.
However, it's a complex and expensive endeavor that often requires intentional burning, herbicides, and heavy machinery to thin forests or create fuel breaks.
Targeted grazing presents a promising solution as it can effectively manage wildfire risk in certain contexts. Livestock, such as beef cattle, can consume a significant amount of vegetation, reducing flammable materials and slowing fire spread. In Santa Clara County, California, grazing has become a formal part of wildfire management plans, aimed at reducing fuel enough to avoid catastrophic fires.
In some cases, grazing may be more practical or cost-effective than other methods of fire risk reduction. For instance, intentional burning can be dangerous in areas with excessive vegetation that would burn too hot and fast to control. Heavy equipment or herbicides may also be impractical in remote locations or steep terrain. However, livestock can navigate these areas with ease.
Currently, a quarter of the U.S. Forest Service's ranger districts in the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain, and Pacific Southwest have utilized targeted grazing for wildfire risk management. Yet, there are limitations to this strategy. Scaling up targeted grazing to address widespread wildfire risk across federal lands would be challenging and costly. Ranchers must bring livestock to certain areas at different times of the year, haul water, or keep them there longer than usual, incurring additional expenses.
Furthermore, a majority of U.S. Forest Service staff surveyed expressed doubts about the effectiveness of targeted grazing in the future. Concerns revolve around the lack of monitoring to ensure desired outcomes, as well as the feasibility of ranchers implementing targeted grazing. Additionally, few staff members believe it would be feasible for the agency to pay ranchers to conduct targeted grazing as a vegetation treatment. Environmental groups have expressed further reservations about the implementation of this strategy.
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