1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Reinstate SB 143 and restore goat herding as a protected occupation in California. Goat and sheep herding are functionally identical operations: the same skills, the same animals, the same work. There is no logical basis for protecting one while leaving the other out, and the current gap is putting legitimate herding companies out of business. This matters beyond the industry itself. Goat herds are a proven, cost-effective tool for reducing the dry vegetation that fuels catastrophic wildfires. Communities across California rely on these animals to clear brush in areas where machinery can't reach. Eliminating goat herding doesn't just hurt a small business sector. It strips fire-vulnerable neighborhoods of a critical line of defense. Fix the oversight, reinstate SB 143, and protect both the industry and the communities that depend on it.