Rep. Calvert Introduces the EMBER Act
Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) reintroduced the Ending Major Borderland Environmental Ruin from Wildfires (EMBER) Act, H.R. 2026, legislation to reduce the threat of wildfires along the southern border and protect the safety and mission of our Border Patrol officers. The bill is part of a larger legislative package dubbed the Federal Lands Amplified Security for the Homeland Act or the FLASH Act that was featured during a legislative hearing before the House Natural Resources Committee today.
“The EMBER Act will improve border security and reduce wildfire risks by restoring the Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative,” said Rep. Calvert. “Restarting this initiative, which was terminated by the Biden administration, is a common-sense approach that will create a safer wildland interface with our southern border.”
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On January 27, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 13990, which rescinded Executive Order 13855 ("Promoting Active Management of America's Forests, Rangelands, and Other Federal Lands to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk")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. On March 1, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order improving forest management and wildfire suppression operations.
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