Just about every day the work we do at the DNR touches your life in some way. When you camp in a state park, enjoy a cold drink of water or spot a bighorn sheep on a canyon drive, these are some of the treasured resources we manage for the benefit of all Coloradans.
It’s our mission to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources for the benefit of people today – and tomorrow. That means we have to balance development with conservation so the state we all love provides similar opportunities for our children and their children.
Our diverse agencies work together to meet the recreational and resource needs of the public.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages 42 state parks and more than 300 state wildlife areas. If you hunt, fish, hike or simply admire our wildlife and landscapes on a long drive, the work we do affects your quality of life.
DNR agencies oversee the development of oil and gas, and the mining of resources such as coal, metals and rock for construction. We make sure these industries operate safely and protect the environment while providing these critical products our economy and our citizens depend upon.
The Colorado Water Conservation Board focuses on our water supplies and helps local governments and utilities plan to meet future needs. It also provides money to build projects to store and deliver water to farmers and communities, and helps keep flows in rivers for fish and recreation.
Our State Engineer and Division of Water Resources enforce the rules that ensure water users receive their lawful supplies. The agency works with authorities inside and outside of Colorado to make sure we are meeting interstate compacts to deliver water where it’s legally required to go, including neighboring states.
Our team at the State Land Board manages three million acres and significant mineral rights to raise important revenues dedicated to K-12 education in Colorado. State lands provide grazing areas, wildlife habitat and access to resources such as oil and gas.
We’re also home to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. This team saves lives every year by providing detailed, up-to-the-minute forecasts that alert backcountry skiers, local governments, highway crews and emergency responders to dangerous snow conditions.
These are just some of our responsibilities at the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. We invite you to explore our website to find out more about the work we do to manage Colorado’s natural resources for today – and tomorrow.