THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY THERE

Published in the March 14, 2026 edition.

Sometimes, twiddling your thumbs pays off.

Mono County officials announced Tuesday that the State has approved the County’s request for assistance under the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA) to help cover debris removal from the November 2025 Pack Fire, clearing the way for a county-administered debris removal program.

The state’s funding announcement represents an important step forward after months of delay and indecision from the Board of Supervisors.

Though the county is not legally required to pursue a debris removal program, the Board has faced significant pressure to do so in order to help fire victims rebuild quickly and protect the Crowley Lake watershed.

Debris removal has been stalled since state crews worked just one day on hazard removal before bad weather forced a halt, leaving the county without a clear funding source or plan to continue the effort independently.

CDAA approval had seemed unlikely, though it represented the county’s best opportunity to secure outside funding. 

CDAA ultimately authorized reimbursement for 75% of the cost for But the County is still groveling for more.

Assistant County Administrative Officer Christine Bouchard said the county is preparing a letter requesting the state increase its reimbursement share, arguing that even the standard cost split could place a significant strain on Mono County’s financial reserves.

The approval follows months of uncertainty about whether the state would participate at all.

As recently as last week, county officials were weighing what it might mean if they had to shoulder the entire cleanup effort themselves after the state indicated it would neither complete Phase I hazard removal nor fund Phase II cleanup.

Supervisors had been considering allocating $100,000 to restart Phase I work locally. With CDAA assistance now approved, that plan is on hold as the county transitions to a state reimbursement program.

“We want it to be one continuous flow,” Bouchard explained.

With at least some funding in place, the county is now preparing to administer its own debris removal program.

Staff is drafting Right of Entry (ROE) agreements that would allow the county and its contractors to enter properties damaged by the fire and conduct cleanup. 

The county also plans to bring a master services agreement with the state to the board next week so officials can begin soliciting bids.

Still, questions remain, including how to handle cleanup on properties without debris removal insurance.

Supervisors voted unanimously to require uninsured property owners who participate in the county program to assign “something of value” as security for cleanup costs, potentially including a repayment agreement or lien, but did not specify which of those the “something” might be.

Property owners with debris removal insurance will still be required to assign those benefits to the county, which would then pass the funds along to the state.

Residents will also have the option to opt out and handle cleanup themselves, though doing so may make them ineligible for reimbursement under the county program.

It’s not clear exactly how much the cleanup effort will ultimately cost the county.

Before CDAA approval, the supervisors had been facing a projected $3.26 million price tag to complete Phase II debris removal. This estimate, provided by DRC Emergency Services, a national disaster recovery contractor, was based on the cleanup of 30 affected parcels, with an average projected cost of about $108,876 per property.

Public Works Director Paul Roten cautioned that the $3.26 million estimate might increase if debris removal took longer than expected or if soil contamination exceeded DRC’s assumptions.

For property owners, time isn’t just an abstract concept. With snow melting fast and roads clearing, access is improving by the day. Some residents are already lining up contractors or ordering modular homes.

But until the county finalizes its agreements and hires contractors, the long-delayed cleanup effort remains largely theoretical.