23 Jul Town of Telluride: Weed Mitigation Pilot Brings Goats to Vallery Floor!
Town of Telluride announces that a herd of goats are a key part of a pilot program to help deal with invasive weeds on the Valley Floor.
For more information, email info@telluride.gov.
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As part of the Town of Telluride’s 2025 Valley Floor Weed Mitigation Program, a herd of goats will be grazing on the Valley Floor Open Space to help control invasive weeds and support healthy native ecosystems.
The innovative effort – approved as a Conditional Agricultural Use by the Telluride Open Space Commission – is a pilot program designed to explore the effectiveness of goat grazing as a natural method of weed mitigation and range management. The goats will target Canada thistle and Musk thistle, as well as Yellow Toadflax, while minimizing impacts to sensitive native vegetation and wildlife.
“Using goats aligns with the community’s values of sustainability and stewardship,” said Program Director Lance McDonald. “This pilot will help us determine whether managed grazing could be a long-term tool for weed control on the Valley Floor.”
The goats will be rotated through fenced grazing zones and closely monitored by professional herders. Temporary signage and electric fencing will mark active grazing areas. The public is encouraged to avoid disturbing the animals during their stay.
The 2025 weed mitigation season will also include traditional efforts such as manual removal, bio-remedy soil amendments, biological controls, and re-seeding.
The Town pf Telluride will evaluate the success of the pilot goat program at the end of the season and consider next steps.
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