Goats and a Grant: Council Mulls Arroyo Fire Plan

As part of an effort to prevent wildfires, goats could soon be coming to the Arroyo Seco.

Pasadena’s City Council could approve new partnerships aimed at strengthening wildfire prevention and vegetation management in the Arroyo Seco, combining workforce training, habitat restoration, and sustainable grazing practices.

Under the proposal, the council would authorize City Manager Miguel Márquez to execute a sponsorship agreement with the California Conservation Corps (CCC) to assist with non-native vegetation removal and habitat restoration, and to accept an $84,500 donation from the One Arroyo Foundation to fund goat grazing services.

To complement manual and mechanical vegetation management, the One Arroyo Foundation has proposed funding a goat grazing program to help control dense brush and invasive weeds, particularly on steep or difficult-to-access terrain within the Arroyo Seco.

This partnership reflects the City’s ongoing commitment to sustainable land management and wildfire prevention. Goat grazing offers an efficient, environmentally friendly, and low-impact method for reducing hazardous vegetation while promoting native habitat restoration.

According to a report from the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, the initiative builds on the city’s long-term brush clearance and fire mitigation strategy.

Young adults and veterans trained in environmental conservation will remove hazardous vegetation, clear invasive species, and restore native habitats in the Lower and Central Arroyo Seco and Hahamongna Watershed Park from January through May 2026.

Pasadena will provide on-site supervision and training, but will not bear any labor costs, as the state program directly compensates Corpsmembers. The city has previously collaborated with the California Conservation Corps in 2014 and 2022 on trail restoration and native plant enhancement projects in the Arroyo.

The One Arroyo Foundation pledged $84,500 to fund goat grazing as an eco-friendly way to control brush and invasive weeds, especially in steep or difficult terrain.

City officials said the use of goats will “provide an efficient, low-impact method of vegetation management while promoting native habitat restoration,” helping maintain fire-safe conditions throughout the year.

The funds will fully reimburse the city for the goat grazing contract with a specialized ecological management company.

No mature or scenic trees will be removed, and the city will absorb minimal costs within existing operating budgets.