BLM Colorado
What We Manage
From rafting Class IV rapids through Browns Canyon National Monument to watching one of Colorado’s four majestic wild horse herds or even looking at fossils at McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, public lands in Colorado have something for everyone. BLM-managed public lands in Colorado comprise an active, vibrant landscape where locals and visitors alike can live, work and play.
The BLM manages 8.4 million acres of public lands and 27 million acres of federal mineral estate in Colorado, ranging from alpine tundra, colorful canyons and sagebrush steppe to mountains rising more than 14,000 feet above sea level. Most of our public lands are concentrated on Colorado’s Western Slope. We manage this land for a variety of uses like recreation, energy development, conservation, wild horse and burro habitat, cultural resource protection and livestock grazing. We work to balance these multiple uses and interests to sustain the health and productivity of BLM lands now and for generations to come.
Our nation’s public lands have sustained local economies for generations while also providing open spaces for recreation. In 2014, all activity on BLM lands contributed $6.6 billion to Colorado’s economy. Colorado’s economic health is supported by ranching, energy development, recreation and tourism on public lands.
In 2014, the State of Colorado received more than $169 million from royalties, rentals and bonus bid payments for all federal minerals. Statewide, more than 22,900 jobs are tied to federal mineral and energy development.
The BLM’s National Conservation Lands highlight and protect some of the nation’s most spectacular areas. In Colorado, the BLM manages three national conservation areas, 53 wilderness study areas, five wilderness areas and two national monuments so they may be preserved for their cultural, ecological and scientific values.
