Colorado Parks and Wildlife director Jeff Davis resigned to avoid firing

The Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife Resigns and Transitions to New Role

Documents reveal that the director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Jeff Davis, resigned from his position late last month to avoid being fired. As part of a settlement agreement, Davis agreed to step down from his role at CPW and transition to a new position within the state government.

The agreement, which was obtained through Colorado’s open record laws, stipulated that Davis would resign from his position at CPW as of the start of December. He would then be on paid leave until December 1 before transitioning to a role as a senior policy advisor to Dan Gibbs, the executive director of the Department of Natural Resources.

Davis will serve in this new role until May 15, according to the agreement. The settlement did not disclose any specific reasons for Davis’s termination or any disputes between him and the department.

Davis was hired as CPW’s director in April 2023 and has been overseeing the state’s controversial wolf reintroduction program. Despite opposition from ranching groups and rural communities, CPW has reintroduced 25 wolves into the state over the past two years.

Department of Natural Resources officials announced on November 25 that Davis had “stepped down,” a day after signing the settlement agreement. Governor Jared Polis and Dan Gibbs praised Davis in a press release, highlighting his expertise in wildlife management.

In his new role, Davis will focus on developing department positions on policy issues and monitoring developments in local, state, and federal policy. The role is not supervisory, and a position was repurposed within the Department of Natural Resources to create this new role for Davis.

Interim CPW director Maj. Gen. Laura Clellan will oversee the agency until a permanent replacement is hired. Clellan previously led the Colorado National Guard and the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs before retiring in October.

Overall, the Department of Natural Resources expressed excitement about Davis’s continued contribution to the agency and his expertise in wildlife biology.