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Colorado is home to an incredibly rich community of native pollinating insects that contribute to the state’s economy and enhance Coloradans’ quality of life through the irreplaceable role they play in ecosystems. The pollination services these essential insects provide are at the heart of a healthy environment, contributing to our agricultural production and food systems, and relied upon by flowering plants across the state. In turn, flowering plants support the state’s wildlife, add color to the beautiful landscapes that we all treasure, and provide the basis for healthy functioning ecosystems. Despite their central importance, however, to date, no comprehensive assessment of the health of the state’s native pollinating insects has been conducted. Recognizing this need for coordinated state-level efforts to better understand the status and health of our native pollinating insects, Senate Bill 22-199, the Native Pollinating Insects Protection Study, was passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Jared Polis in May 2022. The Colorado Department of Natural Resources subsequently commissioned this study, awarded to a collaborative team of pollinator researchers, managers, and conservationists. The study was coordinated by Colorado State University Extension, in collaboration with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, and in cooperation with leading experts in native pollinating insect ecology, management, and conservation.