The Ending Major Borderland Environmental Ruin from Wildfires (EMBER) Act aims to mitigate wildfire risks and environmental damage on federal lands along the southern border by establishing a vegetation management program and requiring preventative protocols.
Ken Calvert
Representative
CA-41
The Ending Major Borderland Environmental Ruin from Wildfires (EMBER) Act aims to mitigate wildfire risks and environmental damage along the southern border by establishing a vegetation management initiative and requiring the development of protocols to prevent environmental harm caused by illegal immigration. It mandates coordination between federal agencies, requires reporting on environmental damage incidents, and updates a previous government report on wildland fire management. The Act authorizes specific funding for fuels management activities and sets a timeline for the initiative's implementation and assessment.
EMBER Act Proposes $3.66M Annually for Border Vegetation Management to Cut Wildfire Risk
Congress is looking at a new bill, the EMBER Act, aimed squarely at managing wildfire risks and environmental issues along the U.S.-Mexico border. The core idea is to launch the "Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative," a seven-year program run by the Secretary of the Interior. Starting within a year of the bill passing, this initiative would get $3.66 million each year from 2026 through 2032 specifically for managing vegetation on federal lands near the border. The stated goals include reducing wildfire fuel, clearing sightlines for law enforcement, tackling invasive species that worsen fire risk, and setting up fire breaks.
Clearing the Path: Fuels Management Meets Border Ops
This isn't just about preventing fires; the bill explicitly links vegetation management to improving "operational control" for border security. The Secretary of the Interior is tasked with coordinating efforts with the Forest Service, Border Patrol, and state, local, and tribal law enforcement. Think clearing dense brush or removing invasive plants – actions meant to both lower the chance of a wildfire spreading and make it easier for patrols to see and move through the area. The bill allows these agencies to create formal agreements (Memorandums of Understanding) to streamline this cooperation on "covered Federal lands," which are specific federal territories near the border managed by Interior or Agriculture, excluding tribal trust lands.
Addressing Environmental Damage: A Focused Approach
Beyond general vegetation management, the EMBER Act directs the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, working with Homeland Security, to develop policies within 90 days specifically targeting wildland fires and environmental damage attributed to undocumented immigrants crossing the border. The bill lists several areas for these policies to address: reducing trash (especially in sensitive ecological zones), preventing human-caused fires, fixing damage to wildlife habitats, public infrastructure, watersheds, and sensitive natural or archeological sites.
Reporting Requirements and Accountability
To track progress and impact, the bill mandates a report to Congress within a year. This report must detail the new policies and list all reported incidents of environmental damage and fires allegedly linked to undocumented border crossers. This includes specifics like acres burned, fire counts, descriptions and costs of environmental damage cleanup, the number of undocumented individuals reportedly involved (and apprehended), and the locations affected. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is required to update its 2011 report on federal law enforcement's role in wildland fire management within two years, specifically including data for each Border State (Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas).