Weed-eating goats leave town early; herder blames law breakers

Hundreds of goats that help clear out noxious weeds in Colorado Springs left town early Tuesday. Its herder says it’s because people have been breaking the law.

For 17 years, Lani Malmberg has been bringing a herd of goats to Bear Creek Regional Park from Wyoming. The goats eat the noxious weeds, helping with weed control and fire mitigation. They also create a natural, organic fertilizer and trample it into the soil.

“It builds the organic matter in the soil, which makes it healthier system without any chemicals – no pesticides and no outside inputs needed,” Malmberg said. “You don’t need to bring in fertilizer, you don’t need to irrigate, because they’re irrigating also, as they walk.”

Typically, the goats stay at the park for two to three weeks. But this year, the goats are leaving after less than a week. Malmberg said some dog owners have been breaking the law, refusing to keep their dogs on a leash.

“It’s a problem that’s gotten out of hand, and now it’s going to be much more difficult to stop it,” she said. “It makes me very angry. It’s a shame for the land.”

She said if the goats were to be scared off and go onto 21st street causing a wreck, she would be liable. She wants rules to be enacted next year so that dogs will remain off the park while the goats clear off the noxious weeds.

Tim Wolken, the director of community services in El Paso County, told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that county officers can only give verbal warnings to dog owners who break the law. There’s no citation system in place.

“We have one security officer for our 8,000-acre park system, so it’s challenging for him to get to every particular park,” Wolken said. “In my opinion, certainly we want to go to individuals and first of all remind them that there is a leash policy in county parks. If that doesn’t work, it’d be nice to have that tool at least to be able to have more enforcement.”

Wolken said some members of county plan to present a fine system to the parks advisory board next month. The plan would need to be approved by the board and the El Paso County Board of Commissioners. Wolken said he hopes to have an answer by Spring.