Overview
- A temporary pay exception that let goat herders be paid under an alternative monthly wage has ended, so employers must now calculate around‑the‑clock hourly pay and overtime for herders.
- Company owners say the new calculation would multiply labor costs for each herder and have cited example estimates that annual pay could rise from roughly $64,000 to about $240,000, figures that have not been independently verified.
- Operators warn higher labor costs could force layoffs, business closures, or the sale of goats, which they say would reduce available targeted grazing used by land managers to clear vegetation that fuels wildfires.
- Past legislation to create a permanent exemption for goat herders failed after labor groups opposed rolling back overtime protections, and industry leaders are urging the Legislature to revisit the rule on a short timeline.
- Policy options under discussion include restoring a tailored monthly wage, lowering the alternative rate, changing herd assignments per herder, and using remote monitoring technology to reduce on‑site staffing needs.