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 Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agri-
culture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ending Major Border-
land Environmental Ruin from Wildfires (EMBER) Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committees on Natural Resources, 
Agriculture, Homeland Security, and the Judi-
ciary of the House of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committees on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources, Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry, Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs, and the Judiciary of the Senate. 
(2) BORDER STATE.—The term ‘‘Border State’’ 
means a State that abuts the southern border. 
(3) COVERED FEDERAL LANDS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘covered 
Federal lands’’ means land— 
(i) owned by the United States; 
(ii) located in a unit that shares an 
exterior boundary with the southern bor-
der; and 
(iii) administered by— 
(I) the National Park Service; 
(II) the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment; 
(III) the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service; 
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(IV) the Bureau of Reclamation; 
or 
(V) the Forest Service. 
(B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘covered Fed-
eral lands’’ does not include Federal lands held 
in trust for Indian Tribes. 
(4) OPERATIONAL CONTROL.—The term ‘‘oper-
ational control’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 2(b) of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (8 
U.S.C. 1701 note; Public Law 109–367). 
(5) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec-
retary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of the Interior, with re-
spect to lands under the jurisdiction of the Sec-
retary of the Interior; and 
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting 
through the Chief of the Forest Service, with 
respect to National Forest System lands. 
(6) SOUTHERN BORDER.—The term ‘‘southern 
border’’ means the international border between the 
United States and Mexico. 
SEC. 3. SOUTHERN BORDER FUELS MANAGEMENT INITIA-
TIVE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
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the Interior shall establish a program to be known as the 
‘‘Southern Border Fuels Management Initiative’’ (in this 
section referred to as the ‘‘Initiative’’). 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Initiative is to 
carry out vegetation management activities along the 
southern border in order to— 
(1) reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire 
along the southern border and improve landscape re-
silience; 
(2) improve operational control of the southern 
border; and 
(3) improve visibility and sight lines along the 
southern border to increase safety for law enforce-
ment. 
(c) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the Initiative, the 
Secretary shall— 
(1) reduce hazardous fuels along the southern 
border; 
(2) address invasive or non-native species along 
the southern border that contribute to wildfire risk 
or decrease operation efficiency of border patrol op-
erations; 
(3) install fuel breaks along the southern bor-
der; and 
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(4) set targets for acres to treat under the pro-
gram for each fiscal year. 
(d) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the Initiative, 
the Secretary shall coordinate and may enter into memo-
randums of understanding with the Forest Service, U.S. 
Border Patrol, and State, local, or Tribal law enforcement 
agencies. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Inte-
rior to carry out this section $3,660,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2031. 
(f) TERMINATION.—The Initiative shall terminate 7 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. MITIGATING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND 
WILDLAND FIRES CAUSED BY ILLEGAL IMMI-
GRATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned, 
in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
shall establish and implement policies and protocols to 
mitigate, avoid, or prevent— 
(1) wildland fires ignited by aliens without law-
ful immigration status; and 
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(2) environmental degradation on covered Fed-
eral lands caused by aliens without lawful immigra-
tion status crossing the southern border. 
(b) PROTOCOLS.—In developing the protocols under 
subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall consider poli-
cies to— 
(1) reduce trash accumulation along the south-
ern border, particularly in ecologically sensitive 
areas; 
(2) prevent the ignition of wildland fires by 
aliens without lawful immigration status, particu-
larly in areas where there is a risk of— 
(A) loss of life or property; 
(B) damage to critical wildlife habitat; 
(C) damage to public infrastructure; and 
(D) degradation of watersheds or public 
water sources; 
(3) address the destruction of sensitive natural 
and archeological resources; and 
(4) address the destruction of wildlife habitat. 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
concerned shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report that includes— 
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(1) a description of the policies and protocols 
established under subsection (a); 
(2) a catalog of all reported incidents of envi-
ronmental degradation and wildland fires ignited by 
aliens without lawful immigration status, includ-
ing— 
(A) the number of acres burned and total 
number of fires ignited; 
(B) a description of each incident of envi-
ronmental degradation and the total number of 
such incidents; 
(C) the estimated cost of cleaning up or re-
mediating such environmental degradation; 
(D) the number of such aliens connected to 
each fire and whether or not they were appre-
hended; and 
(E) the area in which incidents of environ-
mental degradation occurred, including areas 
congressionally designated for the protection of 
natural resources; and 
(3) additional resources or authorities necessary 
to mitigate, avoid, or prevent wildland fires and en-
vironmental degradation caused by aliens without 
lawful immigration status crossing the southern bor-
der. 
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(d) UPDATED REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comp-
troller General of the United States shall update its 
November 2011 report entitled ‘‘Federal Agencies 
Could Better Utilize Law Enforcement Resources in 
Support of Wildland Fire Management Activities’’. 
(2) ADDITIONAL STATES CONSIDERED.—In up-
dating the report under paragraph (1), the Comp-
troller General shall include information on each 
Border State. 
Æ 
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