Our next meeting will be a field meeting that will begin at 10 AM and end around 1 pm. The speaker will be our very own Martin Matarrese. We will meet along Grizzly Terrace Drive (park around the residences near 701 Grizzly Terrace Drive) near the Grizzly Peak Open Space Area in Oakland. There will be a few additional stops to drive to after this first stop.

Topics to be covered during the meeting include:
• The mechanics of goat grazing, including herd health, assembling herds, matching herds to terrain, grazing standards, and needed equipment.
• How goat grazing fits into other fuel reduction activities including tree removal and thinning, brush removal and mastication.
• Changes in vegetation in areas grazed annually for periods of up to thirty years.
• Impacts of grazing on steep slopes and risks of soil erosion
• How the general public, citizen scientists, and environment non-profits view and engage in grazing policy (scheduling, locations, and intensity).
• Current issue of goat herder wage increases due to changes in interpretation of California labor law and the impact this will have on the economics of grazing.

Come out and enjoy the day!

If planning to attend, please notify David Bakke at dbakke@bayareasaf.org.