Unleash the goats

The Washington State Dept. of  Transportation (WSDOT) plans to try out a new tactic this summer to help control weed growth along state highways and right of ways: goats. The agency initiated a “goat mower” pilot program to control weeds in Vancouver last year and now plans to spread the effort to the cities of Olympia and Spokane.  “Goats also sterilize weed seed through their digestive process, preventing new plants from taking root,” says WSDOT spokeswoman Barbara LaBoe. “Four legs are better than two when it comes to storming some rocky, weed-infested areas.”