Last week, my first bill as your congressman, the Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act, passed both the House and Senate. I’m proud to be among the first freshmen in this Congress to get a bill to the president’s desk. While it may not be a sweeping piece of legislation, it’s proof that quiet, practical work gets results – and that even small wins matter when they reflect the right priorities.
The bill makes a smart adjustment to the Wildlife Restoration Fund. This fund is paid for entirely by hunters and sportsmen through a preexisting sales tax on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. Every time someone buys a box of shells or a new rifle, part of that purchase goes directly into wildlife restoration. My bill simply allows the interest earned on that fund to accumulate longer – until 2033 instead of 2026 – giving it more time to grow and generate additional revenue for habitat and wetland restoration in the years ahead. It’s a no-cost investment in the outdoors that will pay dividends for future generations.
Wetlands are the backbone of waterfowl populations. Ducks, geese and other migratory birds depend on them for breeding, feeding and resting during their long migrations. When wetlands disappear, bird populations decline, hunting opportunities shrink and rural economies suffer. Over the past century, we’ve lost more than half the wetlands that once covered the United States. This loss hurts both wildlife and the outdoor traditions that define places like Western and Southern Colorado.
I introduced this bill because I’ve seen firsthand that conservation and access go hand in hand. We can’t have thriving hunting traditions without healthy ecosystems, and we can’t have healthy ecosystems without the resources to protect them. Hunters have long been conservation’s greatest champions, funding the vast majority of wildlife restoration efforts in this country. This bill honors that legacy and ensures it continues.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit: This isn’t the kind of bill that makes national headlines. It doesn’t have a clever acronym or a press conference attached to it. But that’s exactly the point. The writer James Clear once wrote, “Reduce the scale, not your standards.” The bill may be modest in scope, but it reflects how I approach this job: do the small things well, stay focused and build trust through results. Legislative work has to start somewhere, and I’ll use this first success to address even bigger issues.
Washington often rewards noise over results. I’m focused on the opposite – working diligently behind the scenes, step by step, to deliver for Colorado and for the country. This first win is just the beginning. Bigger challenges lie ahead – from strengthening energy security to improving health care and repairing infrastructure – and this is how we’ll tackle them: with steady, disciplined work that earns bipartisan support and produces real outcomes.
Congressman Jeff Hurd represents Colorado’’ 3rd Congressional District. He serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
