Agricultural Pass Program
About the Program
The purpose of the Agricultural Pass Program is to provide options for commercial agriculture and livestock operators to access restricted areas during or following a natural disaster. Section 2350 of California Food and Agricultural Code authorizes local government organizations to establish a pass program for the purposes of providing access to closed areas to vetted agriculture operators, during an emergency for the purpose of performing eligible activities. Access into closed areas may be permitted at the discretion of incident commanders and the law enforcement personnel having jurisdiction for the scene. Safety is the number one priority and participation in the program does not guarantee access during an incident.
The decision to provide access can rapidly change during a fire or other natural disaster and will be dependent on safety conditions at the time and upon approval of emergency personnel. Livestock care shall only be made during daylight hours, and all persons must immediately depart the restricted area by the same route as entry. An escort may be required in any instance and all restricted entry will be dependent on approval of onsite emergency personnel. During initial evacuation phases, access will likely be restricted to all individuals, including ag pass holders. Once the situation has stabilized, which may take over 24 hours or even days, then the agriculture pass will be considered an option by fire and law enforcement personnel.
Eligible Activities
- To evacuate or care for livestock
- To provide feed, water, medical treatment, and other care to large-scale commercial livestock operations
- To perform irrigation of crops or turn on water systems
- To provide access to property or facilities used as part of an agricultural operation
- To transport/deliver necessary equipment needed to re-establish water supplies or irrigation systems
A similar program is available to ag operators in Santa Barbara County
