Miramar Tests Goat Grazing to Reduce Wildfire Fuels
A 471-goat pilot will compare prescribed grazing with other vegetation management methods before wider deployment decisions.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is using 471 goats to reduce wildfire fuels in steep, difficult-to-access terrain. An October 6, 2026, NAVFAC update describes Operation Goat Rope as a Marine Corps-funded pilot supporting the installation’s fire-prevention strategy.
NAVFAC Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center and Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute are helping evaluate prescribed grazing against chemical treatment and mechanical vegetation removal. The study will inform whether and where the approach could be scaled.
Key details
- Purpose: Reduce hazardous vegetation while assessing effectiveness, habitat impacts and reliance on heavy machinery.
- Location: East Miramar, California; potential perimeter fuel breaks could benefit nearby communities.
- Status: A pilot under evaluation, not evidence of a completed nationwide rollout.
Next steps
Facility and resilience teams can use the study as a prompt to compare vegetation-management options for their own sites. Assess terrain, habitat constraints, access, monitoring and maintenance needs with qualified land-management and fire-protection staff. Follow the evaluation results before assuming grazing offers equivalent performance or cost savings.
Contacts & resources
NAVFAC pilot update — October 6, 2026 · NAVFAC EXWC official updates. No application deadline or new grazing procurement is announced.
Details reviewed October 10, 2026. Check linked official updates before acting.
Operation Goat Rope at MCAS Miramar, September 15, 2026. Cpl. Seferino Gamez / U.S. Marine Corps · Public domain. No editorial alterations; display may be resized or cropped.