What we Manage in Colorado

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 8.3 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 Fiscal Year 2023, all activity on BLM lands contributed $10.8 billion to Colorado’s economy. Statewide, more than 47,000 jobs are tied to activities on BLM public lands. Colorado’s economic health is supported by recreation, tourism, wilderness conservation, grazing and energy development on public lands.

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.