News bites, July 2004

Goat busters: let a goat get your weeds

The King Conservation District is looking for a few urban landowners to participate in a demonstration project this summer with a small herd of professional weed-eating goats to clear invasive and noxious weeds from portions of their residential lots. The District is working with Goat Busters or Healing Hooves, both livestock management vegetation outfits in the Seattle area.

An ideal landowner would live in a residential area and have a wetland or creek on his or her property; an interest in non-toxic, organic weed control, and a fondness for goats. The ideal site would have noxious and invasive weeds in mature wooded areas, fence-lines or in an area that needs to be cleared and prepped for native plant re-vegetation. There should be no small native vegetation present, as the goats will eat these as well.

Landowners will be provided with a few goats free of charge along with temporary fencing for a specified time (probably less than a week) and will agree to keep watch over them. Landowners will allow photographs and public access to interested parties during the demonstration period to document and evaluate success. Goats eat English ivy, knotweed, morning glory, blackberries and most other troublesome weeds.

If you’d like to participate, please call 206-764-3410, ext .103 or send an email to district@kingcd.org.