Eating Our Way to Fire Mitigation

ARS researchers in Boise, ID, have developed innovative methods to mitigate fires that are exacerbated by the increasing presence and dominance of weedy, highly flammable grasses. ‘Target grazing,’ involves strategically using cattle to graze on vegetation that is prone to catching and fueling fire.

Target grazing will simultaneously help to control invasive grasses without the use of chemical removal methods, reduce fire risks in wildland-urban interfaces, and effectively feed livestock in a sustainable manner.