Officials in Maryland are saving turtles and money while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using goats instead of gas-powered lawnmowers to keep grass trimmed.

The pilot program has 40 bearded goats munching away in an enclosed area in Carroll County that contains endangered turtle habitat and invasive plant species.

It is part of a larger state program aimed at cutting Maryland's greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.

Goats are being leased from a nearby farmer and were chosen over cattle, which were viewed as much a threat to crush the 4-inch bog turtles as using lawn mowers.