In a nod to both tradition and innovation, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation has deployed hundreds of goats to graze dry brush and invasive grasses near the San Bernardino Mountains as part of a wildfire prevention strategy ahead of Southern California’s peak fire season.
The animals are at work in the foothill areas near Highland, not farm from the recent Line Fire, clearing vegetation that could serve as fuel in a wildfire.
The approach combines traditional ecological knowledge with modern land management practices, and comes as experts warn of a potentially dangerous fire season across the state.
Tribal officials say the effort is part of its broader land stewardship mission, which includes adopting proactive fire mitigation strategies well ahead of new state mandates which require homeowners to reduce flammable material around structures.
Doug Wheeler, who heads a local neighborhood association near the Yuhaaviatam reservation and helped neighbors fight house-to-house blazes in 2003, said he was thankful for the proactive and sustainable wildfire prevention strategy. Wheeler lives near the property.
The goats are focused on grazing areas along the “front country” at the edge of the San Bernardino mountains, where dry conditions and thick undergrowth can increase the risk of fast-moving fires.
The San Manuel Fire Department oversees the effort, which aims to protect lives, homes, and biodiversity while reducing the need for chemical treatments.
Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, formerly known as the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, is a federally recognized Tribe located on the San Manuel Indian Reservation near Highland. For more information, visit www.sanmanuel-nsn.gov.