Waikoloa Village Vacant Lots Fuelbreaks
Location: 3 Vacant Lots within Waikoloa Village, Hawaii Island
What it protects: Homes within Waikoloa Village
Project Partners: Waikoloa Village Association
NOTE: You can click on the images below to enlarge them.
Goats make for great low-impact fuel-reducers when used in a controlled, strategic way. This pilot project was a huge success and gained much public support.
The goats end up being a lot less noisy than mechanical labor (weed-whackers, back-hoes, etc.) and can mow down an area within a few days. They are contained by a portable electric fence.
After the goats took care of most of the surface fuels, the rest were taken out by hand with ease.
Eventually, these fuels were all cleared to create a buffer zone around each lot to help protect the homes neighboring them.