City of Boulder Welcomes Cattle West of the Dakota Ridge Neighborhood for Grazing Program

The City of Boulder is expanding targeted cattle grazing to reduce wildfire risk, which is recommended in the city's Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This grazing project is the city's second of the year and will occur September 29 - October 6 west of the Dakota Ridge neighborhood (between Lee Hill Drive and 10th Street).

Temporary electric fencing will be in place to contain the cattle. Visitors are asked to avoid the fences and cattle and keep pets under control while in the area. The city reminds visitors to respect cattle, which will be contained within temporary electric fencing. Visitors should not approach the fences or the cattle, and they should be mindful of their pets while recreating in the area.

"We are excited to partner again with our local cowboys and cattle for this program," said Paul Dennison, Wildland Fire Senior Program Manager for the City of Boulder. "Observations and monitoring following the 2022 NCAR Fire indicated that targeted cattle grazing and other city-led mitigation work, including forest thinning, helped slow the fire's spread and reduce its intensity."

The City of Boulder has worked with local ranchers to bring cattle to city-managed land with the goal of reducing grass height and thatch fuel loads to minimize wildfire risks. The location, timing, and duration of grazing have been strategically planned to maximize wildfire risk reduction while minimizing impacts to sensitive natural areas.

"Cattle grazing is one of many city efforts identified in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan to remove hazardous fuels and reduce wildfire risks on both public and private lands, and is one of the most visual," said City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde. "The work the city is doing is most successful when it happens alongside wildfire resilience work that members of our community also complete, like home hardening and creating defensible space."

Trail Access and Safety During Grazing Operations

Upcoming grazing will occur east of the Four Mile Creek Trailhead and South Foothills Trail. Trails may be closed for short periods of time while the cattle are being moved, but otherwise no trail or area closures are planned. Please respect all closure signs.

Wildfire resilience in the City of Boulder is a shared responsibility. The pilot grazing program complements the city-wide Wildfire Ready Initiative which brings together projects identified within the CWPP and other city plans that prioritize wildfire resilience projects and programs.

You can find more information about cattle grazing and numerous other projects and programs that are helping to reduce our wildfire risk at bouldercolorado.gov/WildfireReady.

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