Rep. Calvert Introduces the EMBER Act

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) introduced the Ending Major Borderland Environmental Ruin from Wildfires (EMBER) Act, H.R. 9682, legislation to reduce the threat of wildfires along the southern border and protect the safety and mission of our Border Patrol officers.

“The EMBER Act will improve border security and reduce wildfire risks by restoring the Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative,” said Rep. Calvert. “It’s astounding to me that a program to remove dry brush and vegetation that lessens the chance of deadly wildfires along our southern border were abruptly ended when Biden and Harris first took office. Restarting this initiative by passing the EMBER Act is a common-sense approach that will create a safer wildland interface with our southern border.”

"America’s southern border has been ravaged by the effects of Border Czar Kamala Harris's failed policies," said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman. "Today, we're pushing back against this failing administration and introducing legislation to enhance border security, reduce the trash pile forming along the border and ensure not a single tax dollar is spent housing migrants on federal lands."

The EMBER ACT will:

• Restore and codify the Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative ended under the Biden-Harris administration to conduct hazardous fuels activities along the southern border to improve sightlines for Border Patrol officers and reduce the risk of wildfires

• Direct the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to work in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security to put policies into place to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires started by illegal immigration (i.e. illegal campfires)

Background:

On January 27, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 13990, which rescinded Executive Order 13855 ("Promoting Active Management of America's Forests, Rangelands, and Other Federal Lands to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk") aimed to address forest management practices to reduce wildfire risks.

 
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