Colorado is a naturally dry state, susceptible to fires in its forests and grasslands. This is not an issue imported by Californians; it’s inherent to Colorado’s environment. While it’s true that some newcomers from California might prefer forestry practices that inadvertently increase fire risk, the state’s fire-prone nature has always existed independently of migration patterns.
Interestingly, Colorado already possesses a solution to mitigate grassland fires, which might come as an udder surprise to some:
Cows.
In an effort to reduce fire risk, Boulder County city officials have collaborated with local ranchers to introduce cattle herds into vulnerable neighborhoods. One notable area is near Wonderland Lake Park, where 70 cattle grazed 35 acres of land.
Paul Dennison, who is with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, told Fox News that cattle grazing began in early June, which brought the grass height down from the three to four feet expected if left unmanaged.
This is a good idea; it’s good for the cattle, it’s good for the grassland, and it’s good for the people who may otherwise have been the victims of a runaway grass fire.
Cattle are, after all, natural grazers; their four-chambered stomachs are ideal for digesting grass, which is a harsh, low-quality food. Grasses are loaded with silica and have relatively low nutrient content. People can’t eat it – but cattle can, turning into delicious, delicious beef. So, it’s good to have cattle hoofing it around these open spaces.
“As the cattle trample as they graze, they break up some of that thatch, so we are looking at reduction of fuel height in the grasses, and we are also looking for some decomposition and degradation of the thatch that lies underneath the living grass,” Dennison added.
It’s a good moove.
