Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Kudzu plan gets councilman's goatCity bringing in animals to eat away vinesBy JOHN MUNFORD After clearing up reservations from Councilman Murray Weed Thursday night, Peachtree CIty officials are preparing to let a herd of goats loose on several kudzu patches in the city. Why do we need a kudzu eradication program? Weed asked. The Mayor started this, cracked councilwoman Judi-ann Rutherford. Brown noted the vine was a noxious weed that threatened to choke off trees in some areas of town. Residents are trying to battle kudzu thats coming off city-owned greenbelt, Brown added. It was determined that Weed was confused about the program goal because he wasnt present during the council retreat when this particular topic was discussed. As he further questioned the matter, Brown retorted, You built a park for the dogs, and that goats, too, have four legs and a tail. Same thing, Brown said. Have you ever tried to pet a goat? Weed replied. City Public Services Director Tom Corbett noted that a full-scale program is not proposed; instead, city staff want to test it and see if it works or not. The 2005-06 budget will include $10,000 for the goats, although it may turn out that sheep are used instead. The goats will not be city employees. Instead, the city will contract out a firm that specializes in handling the livestock. Cutting down kudzu vine using human power is labor intensive, Corbett said. It has also been noted that spraying chemicals to control kudzu costs almost $17,000 a year per acre, and if the kudzu grazing program works, it should be around $2,500 a year per acre. Three test sites are planned for the program: one off Ga. Highway 54 near the McDonalds, another near the Kedron Fieldhouse and another by a detention pond off Kedron Drive. Brown noted that the city gets quite a few calls from residents complaining about kudzu. |
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