SAVANNAH, GA (May 24, 2018) — The City of Savannah will begin a pilot program in mid-June to use goats to clear vegetation in two areas of the City.

The City will rent 60 goats and two livestock guardian dogs from Atlanta-area company Get Your Goat Rentals. The goats will be used to remove vegetation along a ravine in the Laurel Grove North Cemetery located near W. Anderson Street and at the Clinch Street Pond behind Derenne Middle School.

The goats will benefit the City in several ways. Goats are able to clear vegetation in areas that are difficult for workers to clear or to access with machinery. Goats thrive on poison ivy, poison oak, Kudzu, blackberries, nasty vines, and briers. Second, the City also expects to see a cost-savings using the goats instead of City staff. Third, goats are more environmentally friendly. The type of vegetation they eat ordinarily requires heavy machinery or toxic chemicals to manage and they leave behind natural fertilizer.

The City is scheduled to receive the goats on June 19. While the goats are working they will be confined using marked electric fencing. Get Your Goat Rentals estimates it takes 20-25 goats one week to eat one acre of vegetation.

The cities of Atlanta, Roswell and Sandy Springs are already using goats to clear vegetation.

To view the PowerPoint Presentation shown to City Council, click here.