Colorado utilizing grazing cattle to help prevent wildfires in at-risk areas

As part of a growing effort to reduce the jeopardy of wildfires in Colorado cattle are being deployed to eat dry grass that often fuels fast-moving flames City personnel in Boulder County have partnered with local ranchers to bring herds into at-risk neighborhoods including areas near Wonderland Lake Park where cattle grazed acres of land Paul Dennison who is with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks stated Fox News that cattle grazing began in early June which brought the grass height down from the three to four feet expected if left unmanaged HISTORIC GRAND CANYON LODGE DESTROYED BY WILDFIRE NORTH RIM CLOSED FOR SEASONThe Colorado region's mountainous terrain dry environment and frequent winds make it especially vulnerable to wildfire Dennison explained that using cattle to keep vegetation low can slow probable fire spread and give firefighters more time to respond As the cattle trample as they graze they break up certain of that thatch so we are looking at reduction of fuel height in the grasses and we are also looking for a few decomposition and degradation of the thatch that lies underneath the living grass Dennison added HORRIFIED TOURISTS WATCH AS BISON BOILS TO DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE HOT SPRINGLocal ranchers bring the herd in by trailer and rotate them through five-acre sections over two-week periods Dennison reported U S Forest Arrangement Deputy Chief John Crockett stated largest part people think cattle are the primary grazer but the agency uses cattle sheep goat and basically anything that uses the grasses and fine fuels as a food source COLORADO USES CATTLE GRAZING TO REDUCE WILDFIRE JEOPARDY IN BOULDER COUNTYBoulder Fire Rescue's constituents information officer Jamie Barker declared grazing cattle are great for their fire department in both the warmer months and the fall This year s heavy rainfall has created even more vegetation which is good for now but a future concern as it dries out Barker explained I think a lot of people are really excited because their green is getting greener and growing taller stated Barker But at the end of the day that green that's getting greener and growing taller is also going to dry out and that's going to pose a threat to specific ceiling for wildfires The U S Department of Agriculture says similar grazing programs are becoming more common across the West with states like Idaho and Nevada also using livestock to help manage wildfire peril Boulder agents reported the plan is to move the herd to another at-risk area later this fall