On March 11, Congressman Ken Calvert (R-Riverside County) reintroduced the Ending Major Borderland Environmental Ruin from Wildfires (EMBER) Act, which would 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 (FLASH) Act, which was featured during a legislative hearing before the House Natural Resources Committee this week.
Specifically, the EMBER ACT would:
- 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)
For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Staci Heaton.