Colorado has an abundance of natural resources that run from the Rocky Mountain range to the minerals found in its soils. They include the animals and plants, as well. These resources are important to the state for many reasons.

Colorado is a major supplier of natural gas, which is able to power electrical plants with half the carbon dioxide emissions as traditional coal. This not only helps the environment but natural gas companies offer jobs to the community and help Colorado’s economy to grow.

Colorado is still a major exporter of coal, even though mining trends may be shifting to natural gas. Other natural resources mined for in Colorado include gold, molybdenum, silver, gypsum, sand and gravel.

Colorado’s water resources are important for domestic and industrial use and also for the maintenance of other natural resources. These include 230,000 acres of wetlands in the Colorado Valley.

The Colorado Natural Areas Program is one of the efforts made to conserve Colorado’s natural resources. This statewide program recognizes and protects areas with at least one unique or high-quality resource, using help from a team of volunteers and land owners in 78 designated areas.