Petaluma To Close Roads As 65 Sheep Herded Through Town. Here's Why

PETALUMA, CA — Several road closures will be in place Saturday in Petaluma as a herd of sheep is moved from one location to another, the Petaluma Police Department said.

The sheep will be herded from the Petaluma Fairgrounds to a festival at Steamer Landing Park, with the herding set to start around 10 a.m. and continue until around 11 a.m. The sheep will be herded down East D Street to Copeland and D streets.

Temporary road closures are necessary to safely escort the sheep to their destination to join a crowd of 600 awaiting sheep at the Transhumance Festival.

Detours and road closures will be brief and police will be on hand to reasonably accommodate any traffic-related issues, Petaluma police Sgt. Walt Spiller said.

Road closures include:

• Payran Street from Fairgrounds Drive to East D Street.
• East D Street and Vallejo Street
• East D Street and Edith Street
• East D Street and Wilson Street
• East D Street and Erwin Street
• East D Street and Lakeville Street
• East D Street and Hopper Street
• East D Street and Copeland Street

Police said spectators are welcome to watch as the sheep are herded through town but will be asked to stay on sidewalks and leave a clear path for the sheep.

"If possible, please avoid vehicular traffic in this area during this time," Spiller said. "The Petaluma Police Department appreciates the public’s patience and understanding, and requests those who cannot avoid the area to allow plenty of time for travel."

Transhumance Festival

The Transhumance Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Steamer Landing Park, 6 Copeland St. in Petaluma.

The festival is an annual celebration dedicated to reconnecting people to the land. It reintroduces the age-old practice of transhumance — the tradition of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in a seasonal cycle.

The free public festival features demonstrations on prescribed grazing shearing, fiber processing land stewardship practices, soil and watershed health, reconsidering waste streams and sharing of culture.

Petaluma Parks Grazing Program

The City of Petaluma, Petaluma City Parks, Two Rock Land Management and Wild Oat Hollow Petaluma City Parks' second annual grazing program will be featured Saturday at the Transhumance Festival.

Through the Petaluma City Parks' commitment, 120 acres of land will be grazed this calendar year using targeting grazing. This type of grazing utilizes sheep to decrease or remove invasive plants, increase native clumping grasses, and improve water absorption and quality.

The 65 sheep herded through Petaluma will join the 600 sheep grazing for the Petaluma City Parks 2024 grazing program at Steamer Landing, a combination of Friends of the Petaluma River and Petaluma River Parks on a 25-acre landscape in the heart of Petaluma at its historical waterfront.

Sarah Keiser, CEO of Wild Oat Hollow, is working to ensure this local grazing is ecologically regenerative and increases carbon sequestration. Prescribed grazing creates soil organic matter —SOM —which in turn revitalizes native plants and diminishes invasive non-native plants for long-term health.

According to Petaluma City Parks, prescribed grazing at parks and throughout public places is an extremely effective tool for vegetation management as it increases SOM by transforming fire fuel loads into soil-building manure while reducing the carbon output of gas-powered tools, according to Petaluma City Parks.

"Petaluma’s grazing initiative began last year with a 40-acre plan, and is increasing the plan by more than 300 percent for 2024," Keiser said. "The City is continuing its long-term, strategic view on land stewardship that reduces carbon output, engages residents and beautifies parks all while moving the city toward carbon neutrality by 2030.

Keiser said Petaluma is a prime example for municipalities across the state of California to demonstrate how we can employ holistic and long-term solutions for vegetation management.

"These ecologically sound practices can be used in urban and rural residential zones for healthy systems and resilient communities in our fire-prone areas."