Eagan is the first suburb to allow rented goat grazing as a means to curb buckthorn and other invasive species, according to city documents.
Increasingly, individuals, businesses and government agencies are using goats as a noninvasive, "green" alternative to pesticides because the animals enjoy chomping on various hard-to-manage plants, from buckthorn to garlic mustard.
The city amended its ordinances Nov. 6 to enable "prescriptive grazing" with an administrative permit. Permits are $50 and permit renewals are $25.
Residents can have two goats per one-tenth acre of property on half-acre lots or larger. A fence or enclosure is required and the goat owner must provide liability insurance.
Eagan received many letters about the idea, nearly all supportive.
"Rather than letting the buckthorn get our goats, we should let goats eat the buckthorn," said resident Lori Terwilliger.
Kirsten Loiseaux-Purcell wrote, "Our neighbors used goats for their buckthorn removal and we found the goats to be calm and gentle animals."
One resident, however, said he opposed goat grazing. Chris Mocol said he awoke one morning to find a goat pounding on his basement window, trying to break in. He noticed four other goats in his yard. A police officer came and shooed the goats off Mocol's property and down the street.
