Humboldt Co. Creates Pass to Allow Cannabis Cultivators, Farmers, & Livestock Operators to Access Wildfire Evacuation Zone to Tend Crops, etc
Restricted area Access pass program
Information from the County of Humboldt Office of Emergency Services:
ATTENTION HUMBOLDT COUNTY AG PRODUCERS AND LICENSED CANNABIS CULTIVATORS
We have launched a new program which will allow commercial agriculture producers to attend to their crops or livestock inside a wildfire (or other disaster) evacuation zone.
Agricultural producers, licensed commercial cannabis cultivators and commercial livestock operators must submit an application to Humboldt County OES by October 15, 2021, for verification and enrollment into the Restricted Area Access Pass Program. Once enrolled, the participant is issued a personalized pass which, based upon safety conditions and incident status, may be used to gain entrance into an evacuation zone or other restricted area in order to provide food, water, medical treatment or other care to large-scale commercial livestock, and/or to tend to crops.
How it Works
The passes will be administered and approved through OES, in partnership with the county Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and the Planning & Building Department. Once issued an access pass, agricultural producers with operations located within an evacuation zone must notify OES or the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office of their interest in accessing the property. Authorization to enter restricted zones will be given daily and decided based upon the conditions. The pass holder will be notified of approval.
Following notification, pass holders can access their property through a law enforcement checkpoint during daylight hours. The Restricted Area Access Pass does not grant authority to the pass holder to stay at their residence and/or business when an evacuation order is issued.
The access passes will be valid through December 31, 2021. Producers must apply yearly for an access pass.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
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What could go wrong?
Let’s see…
What’s going to stop someone authorized from accessing other people’s property?
What about if someone doesn’t get out?
Only large scale commercial livestock?
Agricultural producers?
This will create an environment that discourages evacuation and people will stay in order to protect their private farmsteads.
It is prejudicial and discriminatory.
Not to mention, foolhardy.
Bad call. It’s all or none.
Seriously? Please stop typing and put your head back in your rodent hole
Well if the fine folks at the planning commission are working on it applicants should see this year’s permit around 2026 or later 🙄
The planning commission meets once or twice a month to hear and vote on publicly notice agenda items. They do not work on permits. If you tried to submit an application to the PC then you’re gonna wait forever to have it processed.
Cannabis is segregated to its own pass? Shouldn’t it be considered agriculture? This proves the discrimination of cannabis growers just like there excessive taxes and fees.
Lamest thing about these “access permits” is that you need one at all. Power tripping morons in county government think they can tell you to leave when the fire is 10 miles away.
Nobody will fight to save your homestead like your own community. Just ask anybody in the Ruth, kettenpom area. Respect to all the firefighters, you are heroes!
it’s not going to make the job any easier or safer for firefighters, that’s for sure…it encourages people not to obey evac orders
So if you are a homesteader raising your own food you don’t count? What a buncha baloney
Or if you have a non commercial flock of animals. Good as dead.
What if you have a doctor’s appointment and get shut out from your home before being able to head home? What if one is intelligently evacing their pets or belongings but can’t get back home to try to defend?
It’s absolutely ridiculous and favors those who 1) can afford land, and 2) have the money to operate an enterprise.
Hmmm
too bad/late for that Hmong man in Siskiyou that was shot by the cops during the Lava Fire…
More than likely not worth the effort to water your plants if you are in flower and inundated with smoke and ash.
Not true. I’ve seen gardens block wildfire and save houses and land on the other side. I’ve also seen the whole property burn except the gardens which they used to help pay to rebuild.
It was worth it last year. Just rinse you’re buds off at harvest 😉
We tried also. Washed off the ash, bagged it up. Smelled like wood smoke so bad no one would buy it.
That kind of thinking is what got Estelle unelected.
I’m not talking about weed.
People with non commercial livestock, horses , chickens pets, food gardens especially, have much energy invested. To disregard the necessary consideration for one group of regular taxpayers, yet be in favor of another County department income associated entity, would be showing undue favoritism towards a special interest group.
Protection and maintenance of ones property, and retrieval of additional property in order to prevent loss should not be subject to having any kind of commercial license.
If I need to gather eggs, garden produce, fruit, water, or other stored food, for my consumption, clothing,
tools, other additional items necessary for my survival, it cannot be selectively prohibited or allowed.
There can be no preferential treatment, for commercial interests,
nor for County affiliated special interest groups.
Placing undue consideration on commercial interests by allowing entry, just because the County might forfeit or lose some revenue,due to not allowing someone into an evacuation area, does not constitute an allowance to assure that revenue, by creating a situation where the revenue is assured by putting people at unreasonable risk.
I’m sure a waiver will be required, indemnifying the county of potential liability in the event of injury or death, even though this is their brainchild, and they should be held responsible for any associated mishaps due to permission entering an emergency evacuation zone.
It’s so easily forgotten how much of the road the Fire trucks from out of the area took up, being unused to our unmarked, narrow, winding, rough roads.
Let me guess, a fee will be required?
Or does that come with the license?
I am registered with the USDA as a producer of small farm produce.
Does that qualify?
I am not OK with being treated unfavorably.
I just want to be allowed to protect my property, same as anyone else.
Is that so unreasonable?
Was there a vote on this?
Should there have been?
What did the supervisors have to say about this?
Was it hush hush?
Your zucchini will be fine. Let the firefighters do their job. Everything isn’t a conspiracy against you.
It will be a lot better if I get to eat it.
Along with the rest of the food food l grow.
I don’t know about you but I really like it.
Other squash, too.
My wife is a good cook.
What Am I supposed to do, eat in restaurants?
Buy commercial food?
That’s paying allot extra just to eat.
I can’t afford that.
Self sufficiency should be encouraged these days, haven’t you heard?
And what makes you think that I am not a firefighter?
Don’t judge me.
If you don’t want to question it, don’t.
Stop chewing on my ankle.
Count your blessings if others are growing your food and fighting your fires.
Stay Safe Out There.
I was evacuated last year, and not let home.
I didn’t have power to all the food I had stored that I had grown, and stored in my refrigerator and freezer, and I needed to deal with it.
I wasn’t allowed.
It wasn’t cool.
Knee-jerk reactions like this make you look foolish.
Guest’s points here are valid.
Yeah sorry but this is normal. I’d suggest all the homestead self sufficient crowd organize and start lobbying for themselves. That’s what the cannabis farms did.
And look what it got them
Livestock? Isn’t that half of it? It won’t hurt to apply if you are worried about it. Any evacuaton/ get back to check on your home will be a cluster-#u(+.
It sounds like this is for folks who need to be driving in and out every day. Keep working on your defensible space, early and late, in the day, so you have something fire folks will be able to help save.
totally discriminatory against regular people who aren’t just business people and cannabis speculators
last summer when my watershed burnt up, federal fire fighters abandoned ship instead of protecting structures along easy paved roads.
meanwhile, i fought the fire like only a local would and hid out in the creek when the fire hurricane set above me.
i emerged unscathed with no regrets for at least trying to save my house.
meanwhile, fire managers where posted up blocking roads outside the perimiter, planning their strategy after the worst had already happened.
only a handful of us cared enough to fight it on a dime, and we have no hierarchy telling us to stand down to take no casualties.
i would have been proud to die for what i knew and at my place.
but, yeah..
wear a mask and evacuate lol.
Permits over people. The shift is now complete….
Worked for some people last year. Brought in lots of supplies for people behind the lines. I wouldn’t follow the rules to the letter. Be creative and find the loophole.
It’s for the firefighters- they don’t want a bunch of yahoos with five gallons buckets to deal with while they are doing there job. I side with the professionals on this one. Although I totally get the desire to protect your home. But society has to function.
This sounds great but I can speak from experience from the mendocino complex fire that if your crops need water and you try to have it delivered authority will deny crucial water loads to be DELIVERED AT ROADBLOCKS making your tax paying life more difficult and still possibly be out for the season fire personnel do not care if you are permitted so good luck
I am trying to fill this out and it keeps saying “please provide a valid email address ” ….won’t accept gmail??
Govt. nonsense. The good guys need permits, the bad guys sneak right by. Kind of like gun laws.