Once again the Issaquah Highlands is employing goats to rid its hillsides of grass and invasive species. For the goats, it’s a nonstop lunch; for the community, it’s a natural, non-toxic way to control weeds.

Healing Hooves shepherd, Craig Madsen, brought about 200 of his herd of approximately 240 over this year. He said he also had a project in Bellevue and has work in other communities across the state, keeping him busy all summer.

Madsen graduated from the University of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Range and Wildlife Resources. Prior to starting Healing Hooves, he worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as a Range Management Specialist for 14 years. That experience led him to take an interest in ecosystem management utilizing goats and sheep.

Madsen’s only helpers are his herding dogs. He sets up an electric fence around the area where the goats are grazing, to keep the sheep in and predators out.

The herd is grazing on the western slope directly over the old Lakeside gravel pit, which is now a flurry of activity with new construction.  Madsen said they will stay there for about five days, then he will move them north along the same slope.

The goats can easily handle the steep slopes and uneven terrain in the Highlands. But the best part is, they are fun and therapeutical to watch.

Russ Ayers, the landscape manager for the Issaquah Highlands, said another herd will be arriving around July 10, Rent-a-Ruminant, from Vashon Island, which was also on duty last year.