California labor law threatens goats' wildfire prevention jobs

California's strategy to reduce wildfire risk by using goats to clear vegetation is under threat due to new state labor regulations that could raise the monthly salary of herders from about $3,730 to $14,000, according to the California Farm Bureau. Companies have historically been allowed to pay goat and sheepherders a monthly minimum salary rather than an hourly minimum wage because their jobs require them to be on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But legislation signed in 2016 also entitles them to overtime pay.