For the first time, Douglas County Public Works recently used goats to control weeds and woody vegetation on a steep slope at Wells Overlook Park where native grass had been planted and was struggling to get sunlight.

Since the slope is too steep for mowing and unsafe for hand cutting by employees, Public Works hired a company called “Goats On The Go” for the 0.9-acre site. The goat wrangler installed a temporary fence, dropped off approximately 50 goats, provided a water trough and checked on the goats daily. It took them 10 days to complete their task.

Keith Browning, local road engineer for the Kansas Association of Counties, described it as an “outside-the-box approach to vegetation control,” in his recent newsletter column.

Public Works staff are impressed with the outcome and plan to hire goats again next summer.