SPECIAL EDITION: My First Bill Becomes Law
Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO) writes about investing in wetlands and outdoor heritage.
By Representative Jeff Hurd (R-CO)
Colorado’s wetlands are some of our most important and most overlooked landscapes. They are the river bottoms, marshes, wet meadows, and high-country basins where water slows, spreads, and sustains life. These areas filter water, reduce flooding, support agriculture, and provide critical habitat for wildlife. They also support the outdoor traditions that define much of life in western and southern Colorado.
They are essential, and they are vulnerable.
That is why I introduced the Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act. I am proud that my first bill as a freshman member of Congress passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Trump on November 25.
This legislation reflects a simple idea: conservation works best when it is practical, locally informed, and paired with responsible access. The bill does not create new programs or expand bureaucracy. Instead, it makes a targeted, commonsense adjustment to an existing conservation tool that has worked for decades.
This legislation reflects a simple idea: conservation works best when it is practical, locally informed, and paired with responsible access.
It is not common for a freshman member of Congress to have a bill signed into law in their first year. Most legislation takes time to build trust, navigate committee processes, and earn bipartisan support. This bill succeeded because it focused on a real problem and offered a straightforward solution. It was not partisan. It was not complicated. It was the kind of policy that makes sense to people who live close to the land.
The Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act makes a modest but meaningful change to the Wildlife Restoration Fund. This fund is supported by excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment, paid largely by hunters and sportsmen. Those dollars are returned to the states for wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and public access initiatives.
Colorado relies heavily on these funds to support habitat stewardship and conservation efforts across the state. Under prior law, interest earned by the fund would have been withdrawn beginning in 2026. This bill allows that interest to remain invested until 2033, giving it more time to grow. The result is a larger pool of resources available for conservation, without raising taxes or increasing federal spending.
It is a zero-cost investment in our outdoors, and one that will pay dividends for years to come.
Just as important, this funding supports access alongside conservation. Healthy wetlands are not isolated preserves. They are places where people hunt, fish, birdwatch, and pass along outdoor traditions to the next generation. Strengthening the Wildlife Restoration Fund helps states improve habitat management while maintaining responsible public access, ensuring conservation and recreation go hand in hand.
This issue matters deeply to the communities I represent. Wetlands in western and southern Colorado provide essential habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds. They serve as breeding grounds and critical stopover points during long migrations. When wetlands are lost or degraded, the consequences extend well beyond wildlife. Water quality suffers, flood risks increase, and rural economies feel the impact.
This law also reinforces a long-standing truth about conservation in America: hunters and sportsmen are among our strongest conservationists. For generations, they have funded and supported wildlife protection through their purchases and their advocacy. This bill ensures that partnership remains strong. Every box of ammunition and every piece of sporting equipment continues to contribute directly to the stewardship of our land.
The decision to allow this fund to grow until 2033 may sound technical, but the effect will be significant. Over time, the compounding interest will translate into more acres of restored wetlands, stronger migration corridors, and better partnerships between state wildlife agencies, local conservation groups, and federal partners. These dollars also help leverage private investment and volunteer efforts, multiplying their impact on the ground.
By 2033, this measured change will have generated millions of additional dollars for conservation efforts nationwide, including right here in Colorado. That is the result of patient, disciplined policymaking focused on long-term outcomes rather than short-term headlines.
This bill may not be the most visible piece of legislation, but it reflects exactly the kind of work I believe matters. Steady, practical, and focused on results. I wanted my first bill to demonstrate that even small, well-designed changes can make a meaningful difference.
There is more work ahead. From water security to infrastructure to healthcare affordability, the challenges facing our communities are serious. This early success gives me confidence that we can address them the same way, by focusing on solutions, respecting local expertise, and putting results over rhetoric.
Congressman Jeff Hurd represents Colorado’s Third Congressional District and serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Solid write-up on practical conservation policy. The part about leveraging existing excise tax structures rather than creating new programs is realy underappreciated in conservation debates. I've worked with state wildlife agencies before and the gap between restoration needs and available funding is way bigger than most people realize. The compound interest approach thru 2033 feels almost counterintuitive because policy usually demands immediate wins, but thats exactly the kind of patient capital thinking that long-term habitat work requires. One thing I'm curious about: how do local conservation groups balance increased access with protecting vulnerable breeding areas during migration season?