BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- The wildfires in the Southland have opened the eyes of the nation into the possibility of year-round fire danger. On Wednesday, members with the Kern County Wool Growers Association said wildfire mitigation through sheep grazing, one way to mitigate fire danger, might stop because of the state's overtime law for ag workers. Different generations of sheep producers held a press conference Jan. 22 over growing concerns that AB 1066 will put them out of business. "They've basically, taken all the margin out of our business," said Dan Hay, sheep producer. Members with the Kern County Wool Growers Assocation say they're being forced to pay their sheep herders overtime for hours they aren't working because on paper, sheep herders work nonstop. "To pay 24/7 it's almost abusive," said John Goyeneche, who owns J Goyeneche Sheep LLC. "It's just gotten ridiculous." The law went into effect Jan. 2022. Labor rights advocates say the law improves the poor wages and living conditions of herders, but local sheep ranchers say they're now paying to graze. "So, we've gradually gone up, up, up," said Goyeneche. "But, this last up...we went up $800 a month and that's a big jump." The controversy centers on sheep herders who live on the range with their flocks. They stay in RV's where they eat and sleep after tending to the sheep. I-5 shut down at Grapevine through Highway 126 due to Hughes Fire: CHP These sheep ranchers say they provide the herders with room, board, a phone and a federal wage coming out to $5,000 a month for each worker with no expenses. "My employees cost me about $75,000 a year," said Freddie Iturriria, with A&F Sheep Company. "Each employee to herd sheep." The ranchers say 95% of their profits come from sheep meat, but meat packing plants dictate the price, so they can't pass the buck onto the consumer. They fear they will go out of business within 2 years and wildfire mitigation through grazing could be next. "The ability to graze these wild lands could pretty much go down to nothing if we can't solve this problem with the wages," said Hay. Sheep are a zero chemical operation as they chew through fire fuels around the clock, but the sheep aren't on the payroll. "Without having that grazing ability...it is really a piece of our fire strategy, I believe, that isn't going to be there if this industry goes away," said Chris Parlier, District 2 Supervisor.