Steep & hillside brush clearing in San Diego County

The steepest ground is the hardest — and riskiest — to clear

So much of San Diego County's fire risk lives on slopes: canyon walls, hillside lots, and the wildland-urban interface from Poway to Alpine to Lakeside. Those are the worst places to run machinery. Mower and trimmer blades striking rock throw sparks on dry brush — a documented wildfire cause — and putting a crew with chainsaws on a steep grade is dangerous. Heavy equipment also tears up and compacts the soil, which makes erosion worse.

Goats were made for this terrain

Sure-footed on ground people can barely stand on, goats browse brush and low branches up to about six feet, breaking the ladder fuels that carry fire uphill into the canopy. No sparks, no fumes, no erosion — and their hooves gently aerate the slope while droppings feed it. It's the safest, cleanest way to open defensible space on a hillside.

• No herbicides and no chemical runoff near your home, well, or garden
• No sparks — goats can't ignite the dry brush they're clearing
• Sure-footed on steep, rocky slopes that are unsafe for mowers and crews
• They eat poison oak, blackberry, star thistle, and other invasives
• No cut debris to chip, bag, burn, or haul to the dump
• Quiet, no diesel fumes, no dust — and the neighbors love watching

Frequently asked

How steep is too steep for goats?

Rarely an issue — goats comfortably work canyon walls and embankments that no mower or crew should be on. If footing is safe for a goat (and it usually is), we can graze it.

Won't clearing a slope cause erosion?

The opposite of machine clearing: goats don't gouge or compact the soil, and grazing leaves root systems in place while removing the flammable top growth, which helps hold the slope.

Serving all of San Diego County

We bring the herd across the county — Ramona, Julian, Poway, Escondido, Fallbrook, Alpine, and many more. Related: defensible space & PRC 4291.