RCRC supports budget trailer bill language proposed in Assembly Bill 143 which extends the sunset of temporary provisions enacted last year affording goat herders the same labor protections and monthly minimum wages as sheep herders in the labor code from January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2026.
Prescribed grazing where and when appropriate is an extremely efficient and effective method of clearing overgrown brush and other fuels from around communities to prevent them from catching fire. However, the pending sunset of the temporary provisions labor provisions for goat herders could severely undermine local vegetation management efforts across California, particularly when both types of herders have provided the same skilled work and have been eligible for the same wages and labor protections for over two decades. The sunset would also terminate dozens of goatherders’ employment and send thousands of goats to slaughter, again, undermining critical prescribed grazing work.
The proposed language would extend the goat herding provisions to January 1, 2026, ensuring the continuation of vital prescribed grazing projects in wildfire-prone communities and preserving employment for many of California’s goat herders. RCRC’s letter of support is available here. For more information, please contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Staci Heaton.