These commodities accounted for more than $478 billion in  the U.S. economy in 2005.  And on public lands in Colorado,  $4.9 billion was generated by mineral and energy  development in 2011 alone. The production and consumption  of these commodities contribute to maintaining the U.S. economy, national security and our way of life.  Because  mineral commodities directly affect us on many levels, it is important for us to understand where mineral deposits can be found, how they are formed, and what their significance is in the necessities and products we purchase and use every day.  Colorado industries produce a wide variety of industrial materials, dimension and decorative stones, conventional  and non-conventional energy sources, gemstones, metals  and specialty minerals. These industries are beneficial to local, state and federal governments because royalties are paid to  the governments, which helps pay for law enforcement, education, health, roads, andcommunity development  programs, all of which are beneficial to the general public.  Indirect economic benefits are also realized from the minerals extracted and the associated operations, such as employee wages and city and county revenues collected from sales tax, property tax and equipment licensing.  The Royal Gorge Field Office (RGFO) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manage the public lands and natural resources from the continental divide east to the Kansas border, and from the Wyoming border south to the New Mexico and Oklahoma borders. To learn about minerals and the role they play in our daily lives,  click on a county below!