BLM Colorado: Valuing America's Public Lands
BLM Colorado manages 8.3 million surface acres and 27.1 million subsurface areas. BLM Colorado public lands generate tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue every year for local, state and national economies.
Highlights for these contributions include:
- Economic activity across BLM-managed lands in Colorado generated $8.8 billion in fiscal year 2023 and supported 39,400 total jobs.
- In FY 23, oil and gas produced from federal lands generated $5.7 billion, or nearly 65% of the total BLM economic contributions to the state’s economy.
- Recreation, another significant contributor to the state’s economy, generated $1.5 billion in economic output and supported 11,300 jobs from BLM-managed lands across Colorado.
- Colorado ranked in the top 5 among the nation’s BLM states for economic contributions in FY 23 for recreation (3rd), oil and gas (4th), coal (3rd) and timber (2nd).
- BLM Colorado authorizes livestock grazing on 7.8 million acres in the state, supporting livestock management on about 2,400 separate grazing allotments by more than 1,000 ranching operations.
View a breakdown of BLM Colorado's economic impact by sector, district, and field office below. All statistics are from fiscal year 2023.
- BLM Colorado State Totals
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Sector Economic Output Jobs Generated Recreation $1.5 billion 11,300 Coal $583.9 million 1,700 Oil & Gas $5.7 billion 19,800 Timber $24.2 million 143 Grazing $76.3 million 932 Nonenergy Minerals $152.2 million 555 BLM Expenditures $511.5 million 2,900 Payments to State & Counties $269.5 million 2,200 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
Northwest District
The Northwest District generated $2.4 billion in economic output and supported 9,400 jobs.
- Northwest District Totals
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Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $210.9 million 1,614 Coal $436 million 1,299 Oil & Gas $1.6 billion 5,453 Timber $16.7 million 99 Grazing $37.8 million 467 Nonenergy Minerals 148.9 million 541 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- Kremmling Field Office Totals
- The Kremmling Field Office generated $87.3 million in economic output and supported 516 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $33.1 million 240 Oil & Gas $33.8 million 117 Timber $12.9 million 76 Grazing $7.4 million 82 Nonenergy Minerals $9.6 thousand — All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- Little Snake Field Office Totals
- The Little Snake Field Office generated $440.2 million in economic output and supported 1,800 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $54 million 409 Coal $240.6 million 717 Oil & Gas $125.5 million 436 Timber $3.7 million 22 Grazing $16.4 million 209 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- White River Field Office Totals
- The White River Field Office generated $1.9 billion in economic output and supported 7,100 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $123.8 million 965 Coal $195.4 million 582 Oil & Gas $1.4 billion 4,900 Timber $133.9 thousand 1 Grazing $14 million 176 Nonenergy Minerals $148.9 million 541 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
Rocky Mountain District
The Rocky Mountain District generated $1.9 billion in economic output and supported 8,100 jobs.
- Rocky Mountain District Totals
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Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $381.6 million 2,900 Oil & Gas $1.5 billion 5,000 Timber $5.7 million 33 Grazing $10 million 121 Nonenergy Minerals $2.7 million 11 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- Royal Gorge Field Office Totals
- The Royal Gorge Field Office generated $1.7 billion in economic output and supported 6,900 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $239.1 million 1,800 Oil & Gas $1.5 billion 5,000 Timber $2.6 million 15 Grazing $4.7 million 51 Nonenergy Minerals $2.7 million 11 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- San Luis Valley Field Office Totals
- The San Luis Valley Field Office generated $150.8 million in economic output and supported 1,200 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $142.5 million 1,100 Timber $3.1 million 18 Grazing $5.3 million 70 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
Southwest District
The Southwest District generated $1.6 billion in economic output and supported 8,000 jobs.
- Southwest District Totals
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Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $509.9 million 3,949 Coal $147.9 million 441 Oil & Gas $972.6 million 3,402 Timber $1.8 million 10 Grazing $12.3 million 144 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- Gunnison Field Office Totals
- The Gunnison Field Office generated $306.2 million in economic output and supported 2,400 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $300.6 million 2,300 Timber $193.9 thousand 1 Grazing $5.4 million 67 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- Tres Rios Field Office Totals
- The Tres Rios Field Office generated $1 billion in economic output and supported 4,000 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $72.3 million 549 Coal $26.1 million 78 Oil & Gas $943.1 million 3,300 Timber $1.5 million 9 Grazing $4.2 million 46 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- Uncompahgre Field Office Totals
- The Uncompahgre Field Office generated $291 million in economic output and supported 1,600 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $137 million 1,100 Coal $121.8 million 363 Oil & Gas $29.5 million 102 Timber $60.7 thousand — Grazing $2.7 million 31 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
Upper Colorado River District
The Upper Colorado River District generated $2.1 billion in economic output and supported 8,900 jobs.
- Upper Colorado River District Totals
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Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $356.2 million 2,737 Oil & Gas $1.7 billion 5,957 Timber $12.2 thousand — Grazing $16.3 million 199 Nonenergy Minerals $661.2 thousand 3 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- Colorado River Valley Field Office Totals
- The Colorado River Valley Field Office generated $1.7 billion in economic output and supported 6,300 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $107.3 million 837 Oil & Gas $1.5 billion 5,400 Timber $2.2 thousand — Grazing $8.4 million 112 Nonenergy Minerals $661.2 thousand 3 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1
- Grand Junction Field Office Totals
- The Grand Junction Field Office generated $417.3 million in economic output and supported 2,600 jobs.
Sector Economic Output Jobs Recreation $248.9 million 1,900 Oil & Gas $160.5 million 557 Timber $10 thousand — Grazing $7.9 million 87 All reported economic outputs reflect estimated total effects and ripple effects throughout the economy. All totals are rounded to the nearest .1