I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9682 

To mitigate environmental degradation and wildland fires caused by illegal 

immigration along the southern border of the United States, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 

Mr. CALVERT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To mitigate environmental degradation and wildland fires 

caused by illegal immigration along the southern border 

of the United States, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ending Major Border5 land Environmental Ruin from Wildfires (EMBER) Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT2 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com3 mittees’’ means— 

4 (A) the Committees on Natural Resources, 

5 Agriculture, Homeland Security, and the Judi6 ciary of the House of Representatives; and 

7 (B) the Committees on Energy and Nat8 ural Resources, Agriculture, Nutrition, and 

9 Forestry, Homeland Security and Governmental 

10 Affairs, and the Judiciary of the Senate. 

11 (2) BORDER STATE.—The term ‘‘Border State’’ 

12 means a State that abuts the southern border. 

13 (3) COVERED FEDERAL LANDS.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘covered 

15 Federal lands’’ means land— 

16 (i) owned by the United States; 

17 (ii) located in a unit that shares an 

18 exterior boundary with the southern bor19 der; and 

20 (iii) administered by— 

21 (I) the National Park Service; 

22 (II) the Bureau of Land Manage23 ment; 

24 (III) the United States Fish and 

25 Wildlife Service; 


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1 (IV) the Bureau of Reclamation; 

2 or 

3 (V) the Forest Service. 

4 (B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘covered Fed5 eral lands’’ does not include Federal lands held 

6 in trust for Indian Tribes. 

7 (4) OPERATIONAL CONTROL.—The term ‘‘oper8 ational control’’ has the meaning given such term in 

9 section 2(b) of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (8 

10 U.S.C. 1701 note; Public Law 109–367). 

11 (5) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec12 retary concerned’’ means— 

13 (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with re14 spect to lands under the jurisdiction of the Sec15 retary of the Interior; and 

16 (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting 

17 through the Chief of the Forest Service, with 

18 respect to National Forest System lands. 

19 (6) SOUTHERN BORDER.—The term ‘‘southern 

20 border’’ means the international border between the 

21 United States and Mexico. 

22 SEC. 3. SOUTHERN BORDER FUELS MANAGEMENT INITIA23 TIVE. 

24 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 

25 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 


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1 the Interior shall establish a program to be known as the 

2 ‘‘Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative’’ (in this 

3 section referred to as the ‘‘Initiative’’). 

4 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Initiative is to 

5 carry out vegetation management activities along the 

6 southern border in order to— 

7 (1) reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire 

8 along the southern border and improve landscape re9 silience; 

10 (2) improve operational control of the southern 

11 border; and 

12 (3) improve visibility and sight lines along the 

13 southern border to increase safety for law enforce14 ment. 

15 (c) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the Initiative, the 

16 Secretary shall— 

17 (1) reduce hazardous fuels along the southern 

18 border; 

19 (2) address invasive or non-native species along 

20 the southern border that contribute to wildfire risk 

21 or decrease operation efficiency of border patrol op22 erations; 

23 (3) install fuel breaks along the southern bor24 der; and 


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1 (4) set targets for acres to treat under the pro2 gram for each fiscal year. 

3 (d) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the Initiative, 

4 the Secretary shall coordinate and may enter into memo5 randums of understanding with the Forest Service, U.S. 

6 Border Patrol, and State, local, or Tribal law enforcement 

7 agencies. 

8 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

9 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Inte10 rior to carry out this section $3,660,000 for each of fiscal 

11 years 2025 through 2031. 

12 (f) TERMINATION.—The Initiative shall terminate 7 

13 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

14 SEC. 4. MITIGATING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND 

15 WILDLAND FIRES CAUSED BY ILLEGAL IMMI16 GRATION. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

18 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned, 

19 in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

20 shall establish and implement policies and protocols to 

21 mitigate, avoid, or prevent— 

22 (1) wildland fires ignited by aliens without law23 ful immigration status; and 


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1 (2) environmental degradation on covered Fed2 eral lands caused by aliens without lawful immigra3 tion status crossing the southern border. 

4 (b) PROTOCOLS.—In developing the protocols under 

5 subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall consider poli6 cies to— 

7 (1) reduce trash accumulation along the south8 ern border, particularly in ecologically sensitive 

9 areas; 

10 (2) prevent the ignition of wildland fires by 

11 aliens without lawful immigration status, particu12 larly in areas where there is a risk of— 

13 (A) loss of life or property; 

14 (B) damage to critical wildlife habitat; 

15 (C) damage to public infrastructure; and 

16 (D) degradation of watersheds or public 

17 water sources; 

18 (3) address the destruction of sensitive natural 

19 and archeological resources; and 

20 (4) address the destruction of wildlife habitat. 

21 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 

22 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

23 concerned shall submit to the appropriate congressional 

24 committees a report that includes— 


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1 (1) a description of the policies and protocols 

2 established under subsection (a); 

3 (2) a catalog of all reported incidents of envi4 ronmental degradation and wildland fires ignited by 

5 aliens without lawful immigration status, includ6 ing— 

7 (A) the number of acres burned and total 

8 number of fires ignited; 

9 (B) a description of each incident of envi10 ronmental degradation and the total number of 

11 such incidents; 

12 (C) the estimated cost of cleaning up or re13 mediating such environmental degradation; 

14 (D) the number of such aliens connected to 

15 each fire and whether or not they were appre16 hended; and 

17 (E) the area in which incidents of environ18 mental degradation occurred, including areas 

19 congressionally designated for the protection of 

20 natural resources; and 

21 (3) additional resources or authorities necessary 

22 to mitigate, avoid, or prevent wildland fires and en23 vironmental degradation caused by aliens without 

24 lawful immigration status crossing the southern bor25 der. 


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1 (d) UPDATED REPORT.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 

3 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comp4 troller General of the United States shall update its 

5 November 2011 report entitled ‘‘Federal Agencies 

6 Could Better Utilize Law Enforcement Resources in 

7 Support of Wildland Fire Management Activities’’. 

8 (2) ADDITIONAL STATES CONSIDERED.—In up9 dating the report under paragraph (1), the Comp10 troller General shall include information on each 

11 Border State. 

Æ 


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