Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act of 2025
Floor Speech
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Mr. HURD of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 2316, the Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act of 2025.
This bipartisan legislation ensures that the interest earned on unallocated Pittman-Robertson funds will continue to support wetlands restoration through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act for years to come.
For nearly a century, the Pittman-Robertson Act has stood as one of the most successful conservation funding models in the world. It works because sportsmen and sportswomen pay a dedicated excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment. That money is then invested in habitat restoration, public access, and in hunter education.
Since 2004, interest generated from these funds has added an average of nearly $11 million per year to support wetland and waterfowl conservation across North America. That funding is leveraged by nonprofit and State partners, often doubling or tripling the Federal investment, delivering high-impact results.
This bill is about safeguarding that model. It is about making sure that the dollars contributed by sportsmen and sportswomen continue to be put to work by conserving the wetlands that sustain wildlife, outdoor access, and rural economies, including in places like Colorado's San Luis Valley, where thousands of acres of wetlands benefit from these funds.
There is no better conservationist than the American sportsman, and this legislation honors their legacy by protecting the very lands and waters that they have long fought to preserve.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman and the staff of the House Committee on Natural Resources for working with my office to get this bill introduced. I thank my colleague from across the aisle, Representative Elfreth, for co-leading this legislation with me. I also thank all of the organizations who are supporting this effort.
Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my House colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense, bipartisan bill.
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