COUNTY APPROVES AGRICULTURAL PASSES TO GIVE FARMERS AND RANCHERS ACCESS DURING FIRES OR OTHER DISASTERS

Application period begins Sept. 6 for phase 1 of the Ag Pass program

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Horses at a Clydesdale farm near Boulevard during Shockey Fire in 2012

September 1, 2022 (San Diego) --  Tragic stories have emerged during past local wildfires of livestock that perished not from flames, but from lack of food, water, or medical care. Farmers may lose crops due to lack of irrigation. That’s led some farmers and ranchers to risk their lives and not evacuate, knowing that they would not be allowed back in to care for their animals or crops.

That’s about to change.  On Tuesday, County supervisors voted to approve issuing an agricultural pass (Ag  Pass) that will allow a farmer or rancher limited access to their land  in evacuated areas during emergencies in order to care for livestock or crops during emergencies, once emergency responders deem conditions safe.

The program comes too late for those evacuated from the #Border32Fire currently threatening Potrero, Tecate and Dulzura. Overnight, some residents posted frantic messages on social media seeking help for animals trapped inside the evacuation area, after volunteers with horses trailers were denied access. The new program would not help volunteers, but would allow commercial ranchers and farmers or their managers who undergo safety training to be allowed limited access in future emergencies.

 The plan was proposed by East County Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond.

 Anderson said in a statement that the Ag Passes will “help to eliminate the dilemma many farmers and ranchers must face during natural disasters: to leave behind their animals — putting their livestock and equine at risk, or to ignore evacuation orders — putting their own lives at risk.”

He adds, ““This measure gives ranchers an opportunity for timely access to their ranches during what is an incredibly stressful, and often life-or-death situation,” he said. “I am thankful for county staff’s hard work in creating the framework for this program and hope to see it save many lives.”

Desmond said that agriculture provides over 12,000 jobs and has an economic impact of just under $2 billion in San Diego County. He, too, has heard “Top of Form

many stories during emergencies where farmers or ranchers decided to remain on their property to protect their assets because they feared they would not be let back in to care for crops or animals. Having this Ag Pass available to our farmers will allow for a better collaboration with firefighters, and will ultimately make our community safer.”

The program will begin accepting applications for commercial cattle and equine operations  starting September 6.  Applications are available here.  Applicants must provide at least two forms of documentation to prove eligibility as a commercial agricultural operation.

The County will add Ag Passes for other commercial livestock and agricultural operations in fiscal year 2023-24. More information on the Ag Pass program is available here.

To develop the program, the county worked with various governmental or educational agencies and industry groups, including the San Diego County Farm Bureau, Cattleman’s Association, county Fire Protection District, University of California Cooperative Extension and U.S. Forest Service.

Tony Mecham, San Diego County Fire/Cal Fire Chief, spoke at the Supervisors’ meeting to remind everyone with animals to have an evacuation plan.