Politics & Government

Lemon Grove's Goat Program Makes National News

The Early Show will report from downtown Tuesday morning—and you're invited!

The are going national. And if you want to see them make their big TV debut, you'll need to get up early.

The city is expanding on its and taking the herd into the heart of Lemon Grove. Environmental Land Management will move the Boer goats from Lawton Drive on Tuesday to a lot across from the Lemon Grove Depot, where they will begin clearing the space of weeds and dry vegetation.

The use of goats to create defensible space in an urban setting has caught the eye of national media—The Early Show on CBS will report Tuesday morning from near the site of the proposed Main Street Promenade.

Find out what's happening in Lemon Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

There will be a “running of the goats” as the animals are transferred from a staging area to the land near the trolley stop. The public is invited to take part—the TV crew is expected to be on hand from about 8 to 8:30 a.m.

The goats are touted as a natural, environmentally friendly means of clearing away dangerous overgrowth in fire-hazard areas. Heartland Fire & Rescue credits the defensible space created by the ELM goats to having saved several homes from a recent brush fire in El Cajon. Quick action by firefighters and goat-cleared area kept the fire small, burning just a half-acre behind homes on Hacienda Drive, according the Heartland Fire & Rescue.

Find out what's happening in Lemon Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Last month, the city and fire district contracted with ELM to handle the weed abatement project on parcels off Lawton Drive overlooking Route 125 that are owned by the defunct LG Environmental Properties Inc. The city has cleared the open space annually over the course of several years, and has placed liens on the property in an effort to recover code enforcement fines, fees and forced abatement costs needed to remove fire and safety hazards.

Editor's Note: This story has been revised. An earlier version incorrectly stated the name of The Early Show as The Morning Show.


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