FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2025
News Briefs from Dec. 16 Board Meeting
FUNDING FOR WILDFIRE PREVENTION
Regional Wildfire Coordinator Kristen Pfeiler announced on Tuesday the receipt of almost $5 million in state and federal grant funding to bolster wildfire prevention efforts in the Eastern Sierra.
CalFire awarded $322,000 to Inyo County to be used for community fuel reduction vouchers for the landfills ($119,000) and fuel reduction efforts in parks and campgrounds ($203,000). The state award is in addition to a $4.6 million USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grant for work in both Inyo and Mono counties. The Eastern Sierra Council of Governments applied for and will oversee the administration of the USDA grant on behalf of both counties.
According to Pfeiler, the USDA grant will support five years of County-operated chipping, hauling, biomass processing, and construction of a composting pad, creating an on-ramp to a sustainable, long-term system for green-waste management and hazardous fuel removal in high-risk communities. It will also make several critical regional investments by supporting local fuel-reduction crews, strengthening and uniting Firewise and Fire Safe Councils, and expanding resident education accompanied by tailored home-risk assessments. The grant will also invest in essential coordination, training, work-experience opportunities, and future job placement to grow a regional workforce pipeline in partnership with Cerro Coso Community College.
Pfeiler noted that the upcoming work builds on comprehensive efforts over the last several years to improve community wildfire resilience, most notably through updating the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) in 2024, supporting the County Wildfire Coordinator position, strengthening Fire Safe Councils, and expanding interagency coordination.
NEW TO THE TEAM
The following new employees were introduced to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday:
- Health and Human Services – Food Cook Andrea Herrmann and Administrative Analyst David Rincon-Carranza
- Information Services – Office Technician Jennifer Mills
- Public Works – Civil Engineering Associate Marc Lucas and Airport Technician Hunter Thomas
- Sheriff’s Office – Civil Process Analyst Emma Baker, Animal Control Officer Tatum Del Bosco, Dispatch Officer Jon Lemon, Deputy Rudy Madera, and Deputy Briana Stangle
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES SET
With some slight adjustments over the 2025 version, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the 2026 Legislative Platform.
The document, which is updated annually, is a summary of the priorities of the organization, supported by the Board of Supervisors, and establishes the basis for its advocacy efforts with the Executive and Legislative branches of the U.S. government and the State of California regarding legislation and regulation. It contains general principles held by the County of Inyo as well as the County’s definitive stance on critical issues (especially as they relate to rural counties) and, in some cases, specific proposals, programs, and pieces of legislation. The document is structured to proactively frame sponsorship, support, and advocacy regarding key legislative and regulatory priorities while also monitoring numerous bills. Policy areas range from General Government to Natural Resources to Tribal Relations.
Updates to this year’s Platform were made in consultation with department heads, other key staff, and the Board of Supervisors and include support for the development of emergency evacuation ingress/egress routes in every Inyo County community to disaster response priorities; support for federal policies that assist agricultural producers experiencing drought-related losses, including those stemming from reductions in regional water supplies due to federal drought-mitigation actions; support for reforms that address excessive statute of limitations periods and exorbitant damage awards that strain municipal taxpayer resources otherwise available for essential taxpayer services; support for the passage of a farm bill that maintains or increases funding allocations for wildlife services as well as pest prevention and control programs; the pursuit of funding to provide counties with equipment to fulfill mandates to test electric vehicle charging stations; and pursuit of funding to assist with weed removal as part of fire prevention efforts.
Find the document here: https://www.inyocounty.us/sites/default/files/2025-12/FINAL%20-%20%20Inyo%20Federal%20Platform%20-%202026_0.pdf
REAPPOINTED
The Board of Supervisors reappointed three individuals to two-year terms on the Emergency Medical Care Committee (EMCC): Chief Joe Capello, representing the Independence Volunteer Fire Department; Michael Patterson, representing Sierra Lifeflight air ambulance services; and Lisa Davis, representing EMS Operating Area 1. All three terms expire on December 31, 2027.
The EMCC has 13 members – 10 designated by member agencies and three members representing the county at-large. Other agencies represented include the Big Pine, Bishop, Lone Pine, and Olancha-Cartago volunteer fire departments; Southern and Northern Inyo hospital districts; and the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District. The EMCC is responsible for reviewing and reporting to the Inyo County Board of Supervisors on ambulance operations, the emergency medical care provided, and first aid practices in the county.
Recruitment is currently underway for the two of the three at-large positions, the two-year terms of which will expire December 31, 2027. Individuals interested in applying must submit a letter of interest to the Assistant Clerk of the Board at: [email protected] or P.O. Drawer N, Independence, CA 93526. Letters must be received no later than Monday, December 22 at 5 p.m. Postmarks are not accepted.
LOOKING AHEAD
December 16 was the final meeting of the year for the Board of Supervisors – and the final meeting for Supervisor Scott Marcellin as Chairperson. The Board will elect a new chairperson during its first meeting of 2026 on January 6. The agenda includes approval of 2026 Board of Supervisors committee assignments, a workshop on choosing a path for Micro Enterprise Home Kitchen Operations, and review of legislation passed in 2025 affecting the functions of the Clerk-Recorder & Elections department.
The agenda is accessible at https://inyococa.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3314/files/agenda/3038 or https://www.inyocounty.us/government/publications-reports-plans-proclamations/meeting-agendas-minutes.
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