Goats to clear way for BI trail extension
Published 1:30 am Monday, May 3, 2021
About 100 goats from Vashon Island will invade Bainbridge Island in mid-May to clear the way for an extension of the Sound To Olympics Trail.
The weed-munching goats will be turned loose in a fenced area at the northwest corner of High School Road and Highway 305 to clear the lot of ivy and other vegetation.
Once the goats have done their work, the city of Bainbridge Island can begin construction of the STO Sakai Pond Connector, a new non-motorized trail linking High School Road with Sakai Park to the north. The paved, 10-foot-wide shared-used trail will be the STO Trail’s first new segment on Bainbridge Island since the Winslow Connector opened in 2018 between Winslow Way and High School Road.
The goats are an eco-friendly way to clear the land for trail construction, and have previously been used for vegetation control in Blakely Harbor and Fort Ward parks. They are funded through the Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation’s Friends of the Sound To Olympics Trail Fund.
The goats will arrive May 10 or 11 and will graze for six days. Visitors are invited to watch them in action, but be mindful of nearby traffic and the electrified goat pen, a foundation news release says.
STO Sakai Pond Connector trail construction is funded by the city.
Find more go to www.biparksfoundation.org/sto, www.bainbridgewa.gov/1293
