With the drought emergency covering 24 watersheds in our state and the long-term forecast calling for a long, hot, dry summer, wildfire prevention is on the radar again this year. With more than 300 fires already reported, Washington is on the cusp of another roaring fire season. 

Recent reports suggest that targeted grazing programs are a great way to help manage fire fuels and reduce fuel loads on all landscapes.

Recent fire seasons highlighted the need to consider all reasonable avenues of management: underbrush removal, selective logging, targeted grazing, and increased personnel. The Washington State Wildland Fire Protection 10-year Strategic Plan lays out the DNR plan to help get fire seasons under control.

British Columbia recently announced their intention to create a targeted grazing program that offers a “win-win” for wildfire prevention and livestock industry support. Research shows that targeted grazing of livestock on specific areas with high fuel loads can help prevent catastrophic wildfires.

According to a study from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, a beneficial effect can be reached with a grazing density of approximately one cow per four acres.  There are 1.18 million cattle in Washington state along with 50,000 sheep and 29,000 goats that could all contribute positively to the progressive management of fuel loads to reduce wildfires.

In 2018, more than 1,800 fires were fought by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. The DNR manages more than 5.6 million acres in Washington state. The 2018 fire season included the burning of 440,000 acres, or 7 percent, of those lands. The DNR currently has approximately 855,000 acres being grazed by livestock through leases or permits. 

Some grazing permits and leases include provisions for noxious weed management, fence maintenance, riparian vegetation management, and more, the addition of targeted grazing in appropriate areas would be a quick solution in an existing program.

The DNR has done a fantastic job responding to the record-breaking fire seasons we have experienced in recent years. Targeted grazing would be another tool in the firefighting toolbox to make Washington state’s August skies blue again.