Summit County’s weed eating goats

This summer we were treated once again, to the sight of a large herd of goats eating their way around the shores of Lake Dillon.  The goats are hired every couple of years as a way to remove noxious weeds without using as many chemicals. 

 The goats weaken the weeds enough that one application of weedkiller later in the fall will generally do them in.  They are able to eat enough thistles, toadflax and camomile daisy, among others, to limit seed production and keep them from reproducing in the same quantities as they would otherwise.   The goats come complete with goat herder and dogs and an electric fence that is set up to keep the goats in and people out.  They are always a big tourist attraction. 

Summit County has a long history of environmental awareness.  In 1976, 31 years ago, Tim McClure founded the Summit Recycling Project.  Tim and volunteers collected recyclable materials and began to educate and foster the conservation ethic among the residents of the County.  29 years later,  in August, 2005, the Summit County, Colorado Board of County Commissioners adopted a zero waste resolution that states that Summit County, Colorado:

1.  Supports the creation of a Zero Waste Commission to develop a Zero Waste
Plan in an effort to eliminate waste and pollution in the manufacture, use,
storage, and recycling of materials in Summit County.

2.  Confirms the commitment to a target of zero waste, with an annual
review and report to the Board of County Commissioners conducted by the Zero
Waste Commission.

3.  Will continue to pursue the goal of zero waste by promoting reduced
consumption, reuse of materials, and increased recycling until the very
concept of a landfill is obsolete.

It was and is a lofty goal, but Summit County has made great strides.  The nonprofit Summit Recycling Project was recently institutionalized into a government department and  the people involved in the nonprofit morphed into The High Country Conservation Center. 

As the County has taken over the recycling of everything from paper, plastics and antifreeze, to cell phones and batteries, the HC3, as they are known, has taken on the job of education.  They have an excellent website and put on workshops and events, helping the public to learn how we can conserve more and waste less.  This week they held a workshop on composting, and September 8th they are sponsoring  the Patagonia Wild and Scenic Film Festival at the Riverwalk center in Breckenridge.  Every April, Earth Day is celebrated and this year they sponsored an Arts and Crafts fair where all items were made of recycled material. Some people get extremely creative!  They also sponsor monthly seminars on building green and encourage the use of sustainable materials.  They are a resource for people with questions about global warming, conservation, recycling and building. 

The county has built a new (green built) recycling center at the landfill near Keystone, and encourages residents to bring materials there or to recycling centers in Frisco and Breckenridge, if they are not picked up in curbside recycling.  In addition to the materials listed above, they accept wood and slash from pine beetle trees, oil filters, appliances  and refrigerators (for a fee of $10 each after the freon has been removed).  Also computers, electronics and hazardous waste like paint, pesticides and cleaners are accepted  on Wednesday mornings.  Small fees may apply.  Check the website to see what items are accepted at each location.  Skis and poles are collected in Frisco on a seasonal basis. 

Stores like Recycle sports and Wilderness Sports take used sporting goods and ski clothing on consignment and resell them for a percentage of the sale price.  Alpine Accents takes quality furniture and Rags to Riches is a consignment store for high quality clothing.  They also have Little Rags for children’s clothes.  Although we do not have a Goodwill store in Summit County, we do have several thrift stores that accept donations and resell the items to support different non profit groups. 

Summit County is, and always has been, a very environmentally conscious community.  Today our ski areas run on wind power and in Breckenridge the busses run on bio-diesel fuel.  Walking and bicycling are considered reasonable ways to get to work and hybrid cars are popping up all over the place.  We do what we can to make sure that our way of life and the beauty that surrounds us will still be here for our kids, grandkids, and even their kids, to enjoy. 

For more information on what is being to done conserve and recycle in other parts of the country, read

• Keeping Clearwater Beach FL Clean and Beautiful by Jack Haydon
• Clearwater Beach FL Goes Green | Blue Wave Protects Beaches - by Cyndee Haydon
• Eco Friendly Pest Control Soluton for Tampa Bay Homes  by Leah Ross
• The Woodlands Recycling Program by Stephanie Edwards-Musa
• Ventura County Leads the Way in Green Waste Recycling by Mana Tulberg
• Albuquerque Eco-Friendly living by Ashley Drake Gephart 
• Going Green in Brea ~ Or You Call,…They Haul! by Lynda Eisenmann
• Tankless Water Heaters, an Eco-friendly Solution! by Chris Tesch

Posted by Summit County Real Estate Agent Joanne Hanson at 10:21 pm in General, Summit county environmental info. Subscribe to comments RSS feed.

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