A new California law has stirred up some issues for goat grazing and goat herders, especially when it comes to wildfire prevention.
The new law states that goat herders need to be paid the same as California’s minimum wage and overtime laws. However, goat herders are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Paul Abess, operations manager of CAPRA Environmental Services in Roseville, said the company will abide by the new laws and continue to conduct business the same way they always do.
CAPRA Environmental Services helped the city of Santa Clarita with fire mitigation in March this year, providing 400 goats at the Rivendale Open Space near Towsley Canyon Road.
“No matter what California does in compliance with the law, we will comply. If we have to pay them hourly, we will, and we will continue to offer the same service that we’ve always offered. Even though, structurally, internally, it might change a little bit,” Abess said.
When asked if Abess had noticed any changes, he said scheduling was one.
“We’re going to continue grazing. We do fire mitigation. We provide public safety. So that’s what we do. That’s what we will continue to do,” Abess said.
Abess said they have about 10,000 goats, and every 350 goats graze through 1 acre a day. By the end of the day, about 30 acres gets grazed through, he added.
