Overview
- MCAS Miramar launched Operation Goat Rope by bringing a 471-head herd from Shepherdess Land and Livestock to graze an initial sector of more than 600 acres in East Miramar; the animals began operations on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
- Base officials say the targeted grazing is meant to thin dry brush and invasive plants to create strategic fuel breaks that slow a wildfire’s advance and reduce the energy a blaze releases.
- The installation frames the effort as a nature-based alternative that avoids emissions, soil disruption, and chemical runoff tied to mechanical clearing and prescribed burns.
- The herd will remain on base about five to six weeks while officials monitor how well grazing works in steep, hard-to-reach terrain and whether the approach is practical for future use.
- The pilot follows a pattern of heavy wildfire risk on Southern California training lands and raises questions about long-term effectiveness, impacts on local wildlife forage, and the government procurement that valued the service between $50,000 and $180,000.