The City Council on Monday approved wildfire prevention steps in the Arroyo Seco.
The new partnerships with State Corp. include vegetation management, combining workforce training, habitat restoration, and using goats for sustainable grazing practices.
“We also support the exploration and use of sustainable methods such as goat grazing in the Arroyo Seco, which has proven effective in other communities for controlling non-native growth while maintaining ecological balance in our communications,” said Carlos Javelera of the West Pasadena Residents Association.
The unanimous vote also authorized Manager Miguel Márquez to execute a sponsorship agreement with the California Conservation Corps 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.
Several communities use goats to consume grass and brush. The grazing creates natural firebreaks by reducing flammable vegetation.
The eco-friendly, cost-effective method is an alternative to mechanical clearing methods and helps prevent fires in terrain that can be hard to reach.
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 Corps members. 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.
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.
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