Beyond the Evacuation Zone: Agricultural Passes and the Wildfire Crisis in California

This study evaluates the Agricultural Pass (Ag Pass) program through a framework linking preparedness infrastructure, adaptive governance, and social capital to agricultural resilience during wildfire events in California. Drawing on 28 semi-structured interviews with commissioners, commercial farmers, and farmworkers in Napa and Sonoma Counties, we find that the Ag Pass is widely viewed as indispensable preparedness infrastructure, enabling rapid property access for irrigation, livestock care, and fire suppression. However, its effectiveness is undermined by gaps in worker protections and safety training that expose agricultural laborers to hazardous conditions. Weak adaptive governance, reflected in bureaucratic delays, inconsistent renewals, and inequitable access for smaller farms, further constrains program responsiveness. Positive relationships with law enforcement and administrators strengthened program outcomes in some jurisdictions, but these benefits were uneven across counties. Taken together, the findings suggest that while the Ag Pass supports agricultural continuity, its long-term success depends on reforms that integrate worker safety, equitable access, and standardized governance practices.