8.185 Goat Grazing for Vegetation Management.
The City Council of the City of Medford finds and declares that the purpose of this section is to promote the safety and welfare of the general public by allowing and regulating the use of goats for the purpose of grazing for targeted vegetation removal on parcels of land within the City of Medford.
(1) Definitions. Words and phrases used in this section shall have the following meanings ascribed to them:
“Client” means any individual within the City who contracts with a contractor to hire/rent one or more goats for the purpose of vegetation management.
“Contractor” means a person who owns one or more goats, and holds the goats out for rental or hire.
“Goat handler” means any person employed by or under contract with a contractor for the purpose of handling, transporting, and overseeing goats used for targeted vegetation management.
“Grazing” means targeted vegetation management.
“Herd” means the animals available to rent for the purpose of targeted grazing.
(2) A business license is required as described in Sections 8.005 to 8.080. No contractor or goat handler shall conduct business in the City without a valid business license.
(3) Contractor/Goat Handler Requirements.
(a) Contractors and/or goat handlers who transport the goats within City limits must possess a valid driver license, proof of motor vehicle registration, and proof of current automobile liability insurance that meets the requirements of this section and state law.
(b) Every contractor shall maintain accurate, current records for all employees and goat handlers employed by, contracting with, or otherwise affiliated with the company.
(c) Contractors shall maintain accurate, current records for every animal in their possession that may be rented out for use under this subsection (3).
(d) Contractors shall comply with all disease control requirements prescribed in Chapter 596 ORS.
(4) Operational Requirements.
(a) Contractors shall maintain records of all jobs performed by their herd, including which members of the herd participated in each job. The data shall include, at minimum, the location of the job; the number of animals on the job; the duration of the job in hours and/or working days; the goat handler(s) in charge of managing the herd; and the rental rate per hour, per animal.
(b) The duration of grazing is limited to no more than 21 consecutive days on any one property, one-half acre or less in area. On properties greater than one-half acre in area, the duration of grazing is limited to no more than 21 consecutive days in any one penned area of one-half acre or more in size. Goats may not return to a treated area for 30 days following a grazing treatment.
(c) Contractor(s) and/or goat handler(s) shall ensure that the animal(s) are properly confined and only graze in areas designated by the property owner. The contractor shall be liable for damage caused to property if the animals graze outside of the designated vegetation management area.
(d) Contractors shall be responsible for keeping goats within limits of area of vegetation to be managed.
(5) Revocation, Suspension. Violation of one or more of the requirements in this section constitutes a violation. Each day in which the violation(s) occurs constitutes a separate violation. In addition to the penalties provided in Section 8.900, violations of this section may be enforced by means of a civil action in the Circuit Court for Jackson County, wherein the City may seek an injunction and other appropriate relief.