Press Release

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources is seeking candidates for the position of Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

(Denver) — The Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced promotions and the addition of new staff members joining its Department to assist with its mission to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources.

Additions and changes include: Aaron Ray, Director of Policy; Alison Lerch, Assistant Director for Forest Health & Wildfire Mitigation; Jennifer Walker Graf, Assistant Director for Energy Innovation.

(Denver) - Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources announced today that Jeff Davis has stepped down as Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director and will be moving to the Department of Natural Resources Executive Director's Office as a Senior Policy Advisor for Strategic Priorities. Major General Laura Clellan, Retired Adjutant General and Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, has been named as an Acting Director and the formal search for Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife will begin soon.

(Denver) – The first meeting of the State Trust Lands Conservation & Recreation Work Group, established by the bipartisan action taken by the Colorado General Assembly and Governor Polis (HB25-1332), convened on Thursday, October 30.

(Denver) - Governor Polis, Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO), a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), announced today that the State of Colorado is providing funds to keep two visitors centers open at Rocky Mountain National Park while the federal government remains shut down.

(Denver) - Governor Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a case about the South Platte River Compact and Nebraska’s efforts to build the Perkins County Canal. Colorado is complying with its obligations under the compact and not obstructing Nebraska’s efforts to build the canal, so there is nothing for the court to review at this time, according to a brief filed with the court.

(Denver) - The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety announced today the filing of a rulemaking and upcoming stakeholder process to update Tourist Mine Rules within the office of the Mine Safety Training Program (MSTP).

(Denver) – The Future of Severance Taxes and Water Funding Task Force, created by SB25-040, will begin meeting this fall to conduct a study on severance taxes and water funding and develop recommendations for ways to continue funding water needs and energy impact grants in the face of decreasing severance tax revenue.

(Denver) - The State Trust Lands Conservation and Recreation Work Group (Work Group), created by HB25-1332, will begin meeting this fall to formulate recommendations to identify opportunities to advance conservation; climate resilience; biodiversity; and sustainable, equitable, and low-conflict recreation on state trust lands.

(Denver) - On September 8, 2025, Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the opening of the 2025 Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program’s Workforce Development Grant process on September 8. In this round, $6.8 million is available for conservation corps, including those associated with the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA), and Department of Corrections State Wildland Inmate Fire Teams (DOC SWIFT) to conduct wildfire mitigation projects and gain skills in natural resource management and wildfire risk reduction.