CLEANUP PACKED UP
Published in the Jan. 10, 2026 issue.
The state stepped in after the Pack Fire… and then stepped out.
On Dec. 9, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a formal State of Emergency for Mono County to support ongoing recovery efforts in communities affected by the fire. The proclamation was intended to authorize expedited cleanup of debris and household hazardous waste.
However, state crews stalled work on emergency erosion control this week, leaving Mono County to complete the stabilization work on its own.
State crews were only able to finish part of the planned erosion control during a narrow, one-day operational window on Friday, Jan. 2, when a brief break between storm systems allowed limited access to the affected parcels, according to Christine Bouchard, assistant administrative officer, at Tuesday’s Mono County Board of Supervisors meeting.
On that single day, crews remediated seven parcels, installed approximately 32,200 feet of silt and compost socks, and completed 16 erosion control dens across the site. The response included three Conservation Corps crews and two Department of Water Resources engineers.
But snow-covered roads, buried structures, and unsafe conditions at higher elevations prevented access to several parcels, forcing crews to halt additional installations.
As a result, the state-led mission was not completed and is not expected to resume until spring snowmelt allows safe access. But snowmelt could also mean ash, sediment, and other contaminants could enter nearby creeks and waterways if not stabilized.
The state did transfer roughly 5,000 feet of compost socks, 300 compost bags, 300 gravel bags, and 2,000 stakes to Mono County for future use. While the state crews will remain available to provide technical guidance, responsibility for monitoring installed measures, maintaining them, and completing additional erosion control work now falls to the county.
When it comes to debris removal and long-term cleanup, the county still hasn’t secured funding. California’s Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA) provides financial support to public agencies following emergencies, and in some cases can cover debris removal on private property. But Mono County has not yet received approval, and there is no clear timeline or estimate for cleanup costs, Bouchard said.
If CDAA funding is not approved, Mono County could choose to cover cleanup costs up front, with participating property owners assigning eligible insurance proceeds to the county. But any remaining uncovered costs would then become the county’s responsibility.
“Whenever these things happen, more and more, [the County] is first in line to hold the cost,” Mono County Supervisor Paul McFarland said. “The community is lucky we can do that in many instances, but these things do add up.”
Meanwhile, the precipitation and wind from the recent storms have already redistributed debris across the landscape, including toward Crowley Lake. And the winter is still young.
Bouchard said the County is in ongoing communication with the California Office of Emergency Services and has scheduled meetings with environmental health, public works, and state representatives to determine next steps.
