Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director resigns - documents show he was avoiding being fired
- Media Logic Radio
- 3 hours ago
- 1 min read
The director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife has stepped down — but documents show his departure wasn’t voluntary.
Settlement records obtained by The Denver Post reveal that Jeff Davis agreed on November 22nd to resign from his position as CPW director to avoid being fired. The agreement placed Davis on paid leave from November 21st through December 1st, after which he transitioned into a new job within the state.
Under that arrangement, Davis is now serving as a senior policy advisor to Dan Gibbs, the Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources. He’ll remain in that position until mid-May. As part of the settlement, Davis also agreed not to sue the state.
The documents do not explain what led to the termination effort.
Davis was hired in April 2023 and has overseen Colorado’s controversial wolf reintroduction program. Voters narrowly approved the initiative in 2020, and since then CPW has released 25 wolves, a move strongly opposed by ranching groups and many rural communities.
Despite the circumstances of his departure, state officials continue to publicly praise Davis. A department statement this week said they were quote “delighted” he chose to stay on in a new capacity, highlighting his expertise in wildlife biology.
In his new role, Davis will help shape state and federal policy positions, but the job is not supervisory.
Maj. Gen. Laura Clellan, the former head of the Colorado National Guard, has been appointed interim CPW director while the search for a permanent replacement begins.
