By Mandy Vocke

Helpful cows

Cows joining in on wildfire fight in B.C.

May 25, 2019 | 9:02 AM

BRITISH COLUMBIA— The B.C. government is providing $500,000 to the BC Cattlemen’s Association. The funding will develop partnerships and investigate an initiative which uses grazing livestock to manage fine fuels in parts of B.C.

“Using cattle and livestock grazing minimizes the growth of annual and perennial grasses, which helps to reduce wildfire risks,” Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Doug Donaldson says. “It’s one example of what we’re doing to reduce the threat of wildfires, while supporting the ranching sector and maintaining wildlife habitat in our province.”

Wildfire prevention programs in southern Europe and parts of the U.S. have successfully used livestock to graze fuel breaks around communities, reducing the risk of wildfires.

Targeted grazing using livestock is not a solution to all fuel management challenges, but it could be a powerful tool when used in combination with other methods, such as prescribed burning and selective tree harvesting.

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