Officials of Washington State's Department of Transportation are studying an unusual method of controlling brush and weeds near roads and in draining areas – goats.
WSDOT actually started the project last year, using a herd of approximately 12 of the animals belonging to a WSDOT employee. The animals are part of a study to determine the cost and effectiveness of using goats for weed control.
The goats belong to Heidi Holmstrom, who loaned them to WSDOT, where they did a superior job in clearing the land. The year, they are scheduled to work at approximately a dozen areas in and around the city of Vancouver. WSDOT plans to use goats for various projects in Spokane and Olympia as well.
In the past, the Department of Transportation in Seattle has rented goats to help with land clearance.
Ms. Holmstrom said she is thrilled by the program's potential expansion, since goats are environmentally friendly, and provide a natural alternative to pesticides, gas mowers, or other means of controlling brush and weeds.
Thus far, the program has been effective. Last year, Holmstorm's goats grazed at a storm water facility on Highway 503, and weeds have been slow to return to the area. According to WSDOT, this is because the goats' digestive processes sterilize the seeds, preventing new growth.
WSDOT officials might consider working with a banner printing company to create an outdoor banner to display wherever the goats are “working”, to explain the concept.
